Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : NETED140.ZIP
Filename : NETEDIT.DOC

Introduction

The Network Editor was designed to be a versatile tool to aid a
bulletin board system operator running a "WWIV" version 4.xx bulletin
board service (which runs on any IBM or "compatible" PC) to modify his
network connections to other BBS's and to modify other network based
functions. The program provides a user interface to the editing of the
network files BBSLIST.NET and CONNECT.NET or their multiple file
equivalents. The registered version will also edit the CALLOUT.NET
file coordinate changes in any file with the others, and may add
additional support features. A description of the functionality of
these files may be obtained in the documentation that comes with the
WWIV network software. In addition, it shall be assumed that the
reader is familiar with the operation of the WWIV Network Software and
with the control concepts provided by the area coordinator and region
coordinator hierarchies.

Program Overview and Installation

The Network Editor is very easy to use. It is command line driven
with help summaries available and is self-installing when directed to.
To install the Network Editor, run the XINSTALL.COM configuration
program and follow the prompts; the program shall do the rest. All
help menus list the available commands with a short explanation to
remind the sysop or user of the commands' functions. The installation
utility, XINSTALL.COM, may also be used to remove a prior version and
install the current version in one step. If a prior version is
installed, it should be renamed and this new name should be specified
as the only parameter to the XINSTALL.COM program. Operation of this
program is described in one of the appendices at the end of this
document.
The program operates in one of several modes: sysop, user, network
batch, and update. The difference between the sysop and user modes is
that the sysop mode provides commands to alter the data in the network
data files while user mode is a read-only examination of the data.
Sysop mode may require the entry of the same system password as the
INIT.EXE program requires. In addition, the data in CONFIG.DAT
(accessed through INIT.EXE) must match the data for the BBS as in
BBSLIST.NET; otherwise sysop mode cannot be entered and the Editor
will run in user mode. Network Batch mode is used to process
NETEDIT's pending files, except for information requiring the sysop's
decision. Command mode is never entered. The remaining mode, update,
is used by the BBS system itself when a "partial network update" or
other Network Editor data are received.











The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 1.



There are five additional files created in the data directory for
Network Editor use. These files are created by the WWIV network
software if and only if the Editor is installed. They may or may not
be present at any given time, dependent on the current status of the
network. They are:

BBSLIST.REQ - All node information with requests pending
CONNECT.REQ - All connection information with requests pending
BBSLIST.UPD - Contains all "partial updates" regarding node info.
CONNECT.UPD - Contains all "partial updates" regarding connections
NETEDIT.DAT - All other information pending for the Network Editor

WWIV, starting with version 4.10, is designed to automatically
detect the presence of the two ".UPD" files and immediately invoke the
Network Editor to process them. All versions prior to 4.10 may either
install a modification to detect these files, or the sysop may
manually invoke the processing of the partial update by typing
"NETEDIT /U". Detection of the two ".REQ" files is the responsibility
of the sysop. These files may be read via the "approve requests"
function described below. The Network Editor will automatically
detect the NETEDIT.DAT file and process it automatically. In
addition, the Network Editor may create one or more temporary files,
called M*.LOG, in the BBS's temporary directory. Upon termination of
the program, any file which matches this pattern will be deleted.

The Network Editor attempts to be smart by determining what mode
it is in. If invoked without the BBS running, it assumes sysop mode.
However, if the BBS is running, the Editor will read the file called
CHAIN.TXT, which is automatically created for any external program
which is installed via WWIV's "//CHAINEDIT" sysop command and read the
sysop mode flag that is set in the CHAIN.TXT file. The sysop will
then be prompted for the system password and if this is not given or
given correctly, the Editor will return control back to the BBS.
Running the Network Editor from the BBS's WFC prompt command "F" or
from a "//DOS" or Shift-F10 command is possible, but the sysop should
note that these commands do not create a new CHAIN.TXT file, thus
leaving the sysop with whatever access the last user on the BBS that
ran an on-line program. It is suggested to install the editor as an
on-line program via "//CHAINEDIT", but not required. Note that due to
the size of the network data, it may be necessary to require WWIV to
"shrink out" to run the Network Editor.

The following command line parameters are used with the Network
Editor. Only one of these parameter may be specified on the command
line. If a "%1" is desired to force the generation of WWIV's
CHAIN.TXT file, this should follow the optional parameters. They are:

/A - Automatically analyze the network as part of initialization.
/N - Process NETEDIT.DAT in the BBS data directory and return.
/U - Process NETEDIT's *.UPD in the BBS data directory and return.

Starting with WWIV 4.21A, the BBS can be listed on multiple
logical networks. The Network Editor supports the multiple network
feature by examining both the enviornment variable, "WWIV_NET=", and
the data file, "WWIV_NET.DAT", that the BBS generates, with the


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 2.



enviornment variable given priority. The selected network is the one
which the Network Editor will load upon execution. If neither form of
passing a selected network is given, NETEDIT will select the first
network listed in the NETWORKS.DAT file.


License and Warranty

The Network Editor is licensed as a "shareware" product. This
means that although the author retains the copyright on the product,
the non-registered version may be freely copied and exchanged by any
means commonly available. However, if it is so distributed in this
manner, only the complete package may be exchanged and no fee may be
charged (recognized PC users' groups may charge their customary
handling fee not to exceed $6.00 for materials). Under no
circumstances may a user distribute this software in an incomplete or
modified form or attempt to disassemble or otherwise reverse-engineer
this product without the express written consent of the author. In
light of recent proposed legislation by the several States of the
United States of America, the term "shareware" means that this
package, but only as a complete package, may be distributed by means
of electronic transfer via electronic bulletin board systems (commonly
called "BBS's") without violating the rights of the author. However,
continued unregistered use of this product in excess of 3 months shall
constitute revocation of the demonstration package license and require
that the user register the product with the author.
Registered owners of the Network Editor may receive updates and
assistance by calling the computer bulletin board listed at the end of
this documentation. A non-registered individual may become a
registered owner by sending in a fee of $10.00; the fee for a
commercial user is $10.00 per machine or $75.00 for a site license,
whichever is less. The registered version includes a CALLOUT.NET
editor and other features not available in the demonstration package.
In addition, if you are reading this and operate a WWIV bulletin
board, please register your board with Wayne Bell, the author of the
WWIV bulletin board system, as described in the BBS's documentation.
This program is distributed on an "as is" basis, with no warranty,
expressed nor implied. The author shall not be held accountable for
any damages, whether direct or not, caused by the use or misuse of
this software package or by its failure to perform as expected. Note
that WWIV itself is a constantly changing software package.
Therefore, due to changes, the Network Editor may be incompatible with
older versions of WWIV or its network software. Compatibility is only
implied with the version of WWIV current at the release of this
version of the Network Editor.












The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 3.




Command Overview

The commands for the Network Editor are easy to use. Each command
below will have a short description and a command prototype in
standard form. All commands consist of a single keystroke and any
additional information required will be prompted for. The commands
available at the main menu prompt are:

A - (Sysop mode only) This command allows a sysop to approve or
reject changes sent to this node from another system. The command
will cycle through all changes which alter BBS information in the
network, then it will cycle through all connection change requests.
All requests may be either accepted or rejected by pressing "Y" or "N"
respectively. If any proposed changes are approved, the sysop must
use the "Transmit Changes" command during the same session; otherwise
the changes will be lost. This command will effectively be used only
by area coordinators, group coordinators, and the network coordinator
(@1) since, logically, these are the only systems which would receive
requests. For a complete explanation of this process, see the "T"
option below.

C - This command removes all network information from memory.
This is useful if one reviews or edits more than one set of network
data (or more than one version of the same set).

D - This command will display the status of all networks
available. Most of the information is self-explanatory. The flag
column will indicate to the sysop whether or not a given network is
currently loaded into memory, has been modified, or if the operating
node is the network coordinator.

E - This command enters the "Network Editor" command mode of the
program. This mode has its own sub-commands which are described in
detail below.

L - This command reads in the data from BBSLIST.NET and
CONNECT.NET. It is useful to re-read the data files after making
undesired changes or after the "C" command so that there would be data
to view/edit.

M - (Registered version and sysop mode only) This command invokes
the "Subs Editor" mode of the Network Editor. Please see the section
below which describes this section.

N - This command enters the "Node Editor" command mode of the
program. In this mode, a sysop mode user can change certain network
interface data such as the byte offsets in the user data record
structures, the network window, etc. For a description of its sub-
commands, see the section titled "Node Editor" below. The user mode
user can view the current settings but not alter them.






The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 4.




P - (Registered version and sysop mode only) This command purges
all unknown systems from all the N*.NET files relating to networked
sub-boards (message bases) in WWIV's data directory. This is useful
for eliminating "dead mail" from the network for nodes which are no
longer present, especially in volatile networks.

Q - This command terminates the current Network Editor session.
In sysop mode, if any data was altered since the program was started,
the Editor will prompt for confirmation before exiting.

R - (Sysop mode only) The "R" command allows the sysop to read
any file containing a copy of the text version of the BBSLIST or
CONNECT data by prompting for a filename for each type. It is not
required to read a file of each type, but it certainly makes sense
that at least one of the 2 types is needed, else why execute the
command?

S - (Sysop mode only) This command saves the current state of the
data into the BBSLIST.NET and CONNECT.NET files in the BBS's data
directory, thus permanently changing the connections and status of the
nodes in the network. Subsequently, WWIV will execute the
NETWORK3.EXE program to update the other network data files. It
should be noted that although these changes are permanent, they are
local to the node and therefore no other node will be aware of them.
Furthermore, any subsequent network update may negate or alter the
effects of a "local-only" data save.

T - (Sysop mode only) This command, standing for "Transmit
Changes," is how a board in the net requests and informs other nodes
in the network about any and all changes it desires to make. It will
write all changes that the BBS is authorized to make onto the network
for approval.
A BBS may only make changes to its own data. These changes
include its "personal" data such as its baud rate, phone number,
system name, and its connection data with other nodes. These changes
are sent to the node's area coordinator system for approval. The area
coordinator will either accept or reject the changes. If approved,
the node's regional coordinator receives the request. He may act on
it as if he were the network coordinator, or approve the change and
pass it up to the network coordinator. Changes passed on are
transmitted to the network coordinator's board. Once again, the
changes may be accepted or rejected, but if accepted, they become
permanent and are distributed to all nodes in the network. Unlike the
networked sub-board structure, these changes are sent to the board
which originated the request (as well as all others). This is because
the sysop may choose to transmit the changes without saving them
locally and when the changes arrive back at the requesting node, this
represents confirmation of approval.
Area coordinator nodes, region coordinator nodes, and the network
coordinator node, are treated slightly differently. They have the
authority to change any node within their area, with the network
coordinator's authority spanning the entire network. In addition to
proposing changes, these boards also approve changes. If these boards
approve any changes during a session, these changes must be


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 5.



transmitted during the same editing session; otherwise they are lost.
For the network coordinator, this command does not transmit a request
but an update to all other nodes in the network. Lastly, the
transmission of requests will also send E-mail back to the requesting
node indicating that the changes were accepted.

U - (Sysop mode for group or network coordinators only) This
command is similar to the "T" command, except that it transmits an
update to all other nodes. Only the network coordinator and regional
coordinators can use this command. For the network coordinator, this
command is identical to the "T" command. For group coordinators, this
command may be used to update all nodes about changes in the
appropriate group while "transmit changes" above will forward the
changes to the network coordinator.

W - (Sysop mode only) Corresponding with the read command above
is this command, the "Write Text File" command. This command will
write the node and connection data to any file given at the prompt.
Please note that the "Save" command is a shorthand form of this
command for writing to the active network data files. However, with
this command, it is easy to create duplicate copies (altered or not)
of the data files.

$ - (Registered version and sysop mode only) This command invokes
a section which allows the sysop to manipulate the contents of
CALLOUT.NET, the file which tells the BBS which other nodes it will
call and how. The Callout Editor mode is pretty self explanatory, so
no further documentation shall be presented. However, one should read
the description of the CALLOUT.NET file presented in the WWIV Network
Documentation that comes with the network software for details on how
the CALLOUT.NET file is used.

! - (Registered version and sysop mode only) This command
instructs the Network Editor to use its analyze function and write the
data out to the network routing data files. This command can be used
if WWIV's NETWORK3.EXE program is lost or damaged.

+ and - - These two commands may be used to access the next and
previous networks with respect to the current network in a multiple
network situation. The newly selected network will be loaded into
memory. These commands will wrap around the list as appropriate.
Note that for single network executions, these commands will have no
effect.

? - Throughout the Network Editor, help is available at any
command prompt (but not data prompts). By typing a "?", the current
menu summary is provided. Although not mentioned below, the "?"
command is available at any menu subsystem.









The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 6.



The Node Editor Subsystem

The "Node Editor" allows the sysop to make changes to the BBS with
respect to its behavior to the network. Changes made in this
subsystem do not affect any other node of the network. The reader
should note that any user can enter this mode, but only a sysop can
enter commands. All other users will be returned to the main command
mode. When the editor is in this mode, it will display the following
information (The display may vary according to the version used):

----------------------------------------------------------------------
System : My System @21
Sysop : Me!
Phone : 213-555-1212

WWIV BBS Version # : 4.20
Network Software Version # : 26
Network Editor Version # : 1.30
Network Connection Bias $ : 0.001
Current Network Selected : LocalNet
Last BBS List File Update : 09/01/91 18:38:29
Last Connection Update : 09/01/91 18:45:38

Network Window opens at : 270 (04:30)
Network Window closes at : 330 (05:30)
User record Length : 700 Bytes
User Rec. Mail Wt. Offset : 423
User Record Inactive Flag : 385
Free Memory Remaining : 294858

Command :
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The first and third groups of information are information about
the board itself. The first group is information entered about the
board via the INIT.EXE program into the CONFIG.DAT data file. Please
take note of this information because the Network Editor may not allow
sysop mode access if this information does not agree with the same
information the network data files have. The second group is
information obtained from the BBS and network programs directly, being
stored in STATUS.DAT and from the network data currently in memory.
If the sysop has executed the "Clear Data" command, this data will be
useless. The network control string is described in the WWIV Network
Software documentation. Unless noted below, information in these
groups is unalterable by the network editor.
The third group identifies the time range that the BBS is set to
receive network calls only. This network window creates a time where,
for very high user activity BBS's, the system will be available
exclusively for network access. The window open and close times given
are in terms of both minutes since midnight and military time to the
minute. If the window open time is later in the day than the close
time, the window spans the intervening midnight. This function is
very similar in nature to the "sysop chat window," defined in WWIV in
the INIT.EXE program. This third group of data also applies to
registered WWIV systems which have modified their user record


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 7.



structures. These three values are the same data items that the
NETINIT.EXE program alters. For more information, please see the
section of the network documentation which describes the NETINIT.C
program.
For the sysop, there will be an additional entry displayed.
Currently, the additional information consists of only a report on how
much free memory is available for the network data. If the sysop
wishes to see how much total memory is available, he should execute
the "Clear Data" command at the main menu, then return to this
section. The amount of free memory displayed will then be the total
amount of memory available for processing network data.
Below are the commands which comprise the "node editor" subsystem.
These commands are available only in sysop mode. Therefore, they
shall not be labeled as "sysop mode only." They are:

B - This command changes the network bias factor. This factor,
available only in network software release 15 and later, affects the
way the network calculates connection paths. For each path, this
factor, listed in fractions of a dollar per kilobyte-minute, is
multiplied by the number of "hops" between two nodes and is used to
select the cheaper path between 2 or more possible paths. Therefore,
if this factor is set quite high, the network and the editor will tend
to select a path which minimizes the number of hops, while as the
factor approaches zero, the behavior will be to minimize the cost of
transmission through the network. All versions of the network
software prior to release 15 will behave as if this value is set to
exactly zero, regardless of the actual setting. The sysop should be
aware that if this value is altered while the BBS is running, it is
possible that the new value may not become permanent. This is because
the BBS may overwrite the STATUS.DAT file before reading the newly
modified version. Note that this function is enabled only if the cost
system is enabled via XINSTALL.

H - This command sets the network window's high or closing time.
The Editor will prompt for the closing time which is given in minutes
since midnight. Midnight itself should be specified as 1440 and not
0.

I - This command sets the user record offset (in bytes) for the
user inactive flag for modified WWIV's. A full description of this
data item is available in the description of the NETINIT.EXE program.
If one has not modified the user record structure, then do not alter
the value placed here.

L - This command sets the network window's low or opening time.
The Editor will prompt for the opening time which is given in minutes
since midnight. Midnight itself should be specified as 0 and not
1440.









The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 8.




M - The value set by this command is the offset into the user
record where the network updates the "mail waiting" counter for a
user. If one has ot modified the user record structure, this value
should not be altered. See the description of the NETINIT.EXE program
for further details.

Q - This option terminates the "Node Editor" mode of the Network
Editor and returns the sysop to the main command mode.

U - This is the last of three commands which duplicate the
functions of the NETINIT.EXE program. This one allows a sysop to set
the length of his modified user record so that the network can find
all the users. If one has not modified WWIV's user record structure,
this value should not be changed. If any of the three user records
are altered without the sysop having adequate knowledge of what he is
doing, the user record structures could have permanent damage,
requiring deletion of the entire user list.

W - Most of the commands in this section do not cause the
immediate update of the BBS's data files. This command is used to
save the changes made in this section back to CONFIG.DAT so that these
changes are made permanent. The data which need not be saved in this
manner are the network bias factor and the de-installation of the
Network Editor.
































The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 9.



The Network Editor Subsystem

The "Network Edit" mode of the Network Editor shows the real
purpose and design of the Editor. In this section, a user may view,
and a sysop edit, the data that the network depends directly on. All
the commands in this section directly manipulate the data contained in
the files BBSLIST.NET and CONNECT.NET. The first time this mode is
invoked during execution of the editor, the node selected as current
is the node that the Editor is being run from. If a user or sysop
changes the currently displayed node then leaves this section, upon
return, that same node will be selected. The display for this mode is
as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
System: My System @21
Phone : 310-555-1212
Baud : 19200
Modem : USR_DS V.42bis
ACN # : 2
RCN # : 5
Region: 4
Hops : 2.78
Cost : 1.10 3 (1) 494

Path : 21-411-393-1

Node # Cost From Speed Flow Phone Number System Name
------ ---- ---- ----- ---- ------------ -----------
@2 : 0.00 0.00 2400 15 213-853-1212 The Tardis!
@5 : 0.00 0.00 14400 3 818-410-0001 The Kingdom
@13 : 0.00 0.00 2400 4 914-611-6789 Dave's BBS
@411 : 0.01 0.01 2400 22 510-453-9999 PC Shopper
@1040 : 0.10 0.10 110 0 800-829-1040 Hack Me BBS
@3999 : 0.03 0.03 2400 1 900-326-3848 Modemworld
@29864: 0.25 0.25 9600 6 612-911-4856 The Modem Police

Network Editor :
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The display is divided up into two main sections. The top section
is for data relating to the node itself. The lines labeled "system",
"phone", and "baud" are self evident. After these, there may be 0 or
more lines for modems in the 9600+ baud range indicating the modem's
compatibility modes and standards. The line labeled "ACN #"
identifies the area coordinator's node number for the node displayed.
If the area coordinator's number is the same as the displayed node,
then that board is an area coordinator system. Similarly, if a line
labeled "RCN #" is present, this means that the network's areas are
grouped together as regions, and the node displayed is the region's
coordinator system. Optionally, there may be two more lines
appearing. These lines display the results of the "analyze
connections" command described below. On the "Cost" line is the cost
of transmitting 1Kb-minute, the number of hops the displayed board is
from the "analyzed" board, the number of network servers in the path,
and the amount of traffic which flows through the node. The second


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 10.



optional line will show the path from right to left that messages
travel to reach the displayed node from the "analyzed" node. These
two lines will not appear if 1) no analyze command has been executed,
2) the "analyzed" node is the one displayed, or 3) the node displayed
is unreachable. However, for the node analyzed from, the average
number of hops will be displayed in place of the cost and path lines.
The second part of the display is a listing of all the connections
that the displayed node has. The costs to and from are in $/min with
a negative cost meaning that there is no valid reverse connection, the
speed listed is the maximum speed that the boards can connect at, the
traffic flow, and the phone number and name of the system connected
to. Alternatively, if a sysop has executed the "delete node" command,
instead of connections, the line "Status: Deleted" will appear. This
section may also be unavailable to nodes marked as "part-time" or
"down". Since nodes in these statuses do not operate on a regular
basis, they may not have their connections listed because these
connections cannot be used in calculating paths; i.e. these nodes will
never appear in the middle of a path; they will always be terminal
nodes in any path.
Some of this mode's commands have synomyns. The "network Editor"
mode commands are:

A - This command analyzes the network connections as if
NETWORK3.EXE were executed from the node displayed. All data paths
and costs are calculated for the entire reachable network. When the
command has finished, it will redisplay the node with all the traffic
flow and path information filled in. The traffic flow number
represents the number of nodes whose path from the analyzed node to it
includes the node listed. This command should be an effective tool
for sysops to see what effects a change in connections can make on the
network as a whole.

B - (Sysop mode only) This command allows the sysop to change the
baud rate of the currently displayed node. Due to the recent
expansion of the modem industry into MNP protocols for high speed
modems, the only checks made on the baud rate is that it be a positive
integer divisible by 300. It was considered that no board slower than
1200 baud belong to a network, so making baud rates such as 150 not
possible is not an undesired side-effect. For baud rates greater than
2400, please see the section below on compatibility types as well.
"S" (for speed) is a synomyn for this command.

C - (Sysop mode only) The "connect" command allows a sysop to add
or alter the cost of a connection. The cost (prompted for) is
specified in $/min and is accepted only if the other node exists. If
it does, then the reverse connection's cost is prompted for, which if
a null entry is made, that cost is left unchanged. It is possible to
delete a connection by specifying a negative cost, but the "remove
connection" command listed below is preferred.








The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 11.




D - (Sysop mode only) Depending on the state of the currently
displayed node, it is either deleted or restored from deletion by this
command. All connections to the node are left intact, but are
stripped from the files if the sysop commands a "save", "transmit
changes", or "write" to a data file.

E - This command allows a user to select another node to display.
In sysop mode, if the desired node does not exist, the sysop is
prompted if he wants to create the node or not. When a node is
created in this manner, the sysop must fill in all the data for the
node. For users and sysops who do not create nodes, the current node
continues to be displayed.

F - A user or sysop can search the network for a particular node
by BBS name by using the "Find" command. The user is prompted for the
name of the BBS he wishes to find and the Editor cycles through all
the nodes which match the name given until the user selects one or the
list is exhausted. If no match is found, the current node remains
current.
In the registered version, this command accesses the "Condition
Editor" mode. The Condition Editor accepts a subset of the Network
Editor mode's commands (relating to information about nodes but not
connections) and generates a list of all nodes which match the given
parameters. This list may be searched by using the "[" and "]" keys,
and the entire list may be displayed by selecting the key. The
list is identical to the list provided by the "Subs Editor" mode.

N - (Sysop mode only) This command allows a sysop to change the
name of a BBS on the network. This new name should not be entered in
quotes or delimited by any other special character. The name may
include any number, letter, or symbol except a quote.

O - The "order" command sorts the network data list so that all
nodes are internally linked in memory in order of node number and all
connections are sorted in order of the node connected to.

P - (Sysop mode only) This command allows a sysop to change the
phone number of the displayed node. In the event that the new phone
number specifies a different area code, the area coordinator node for
the displayed node is automatically recalculated. There is no
validity check on the phone number as far as if the prefix exists, the
number is in service, etc.; that being the responsibility of the
sysop. However, for the Condition Editor mode, this command does not
accept a full phone number, but an area code and two prefixes. Only
numbers matching the range specified by the prefixes (if non-zero)
will be accepted for a conditional search.

Q - This will return the user or sysop back to the Network
Editor's main menu prompt. Upon return to this subsection, the node
displayed will be selected as current.






The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 12.




R - The remove connection will prompt for the node number of the
connection to be removed. In addition, only one-half of the
connection need be removed, with the reverse direction optionally
being left in place by answering "no" to the delete reverse connection
question.

T - This toggle switch will mark a node as unavailable. This is
useful when a node is temporarily down due to hardware problems or if
it is relocating. The effects of this toggle are that when it is
enabled, all mail destined to pass through the so marked system is
rerouted to pass around it. Mail destined to that system is still
routed to a pending file for it.

- This key provides a quick access to an area coordinator's
node. The command will prompt for an area code, and if this area code
is valid, it will display the area coordinator's node for the area
code requested if there is such a node in existence.

"+" and "-" - These keys allow a user of the Editor to
sequentially display another node, either the one whose node number is
numerically before or after as appropriate to the key selected.

"#" - This command may be used to relocate a node by assigning it
a new node number. All the connections that the node has under the
old node number are preserved. However, note that the old node number
will still exist in the net until it is explicitly deleted. This
command is most useful when a node is preparing to move or when the
telephone company is preparing to split up an area code. Note that
none of the other data about the node is changed since this command
only duplicates the desired node under a new node number.

"X" - Toggle Group 3 FAX compatibility mode
"<" - Toggle USR Robotics HST compatibility mode
">" - Toggle Hayes Series V compatibility mode
"/" - Toggle Compucom 9600 baud compatibility mode
"|" - Toggle Telebit Trailblazer 19200 baud compatibility mode
"!" - Toggle CCITT V.32 compatibility mode
"$" - Toggle CCITT V.32bis compatibility mode
These 7 keys are on/off toggle switches which control the
compatibility modes for 9600+ baud modems. This will affect the
connection speeds determined by the Network Editor during the analyze
function. If two 9600+ baud nodes have the same compatibility mode
flag set, then these nodes are able to connect at the appropriate
speed greater than 2400 baud. However, if the nodes do not have this
modem capability, then the fastest speed that they can communicate at
would be 2400 baud.










The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 13.




"=" - This key toggles a marker that indicates to the network that
the node so marked will use a modem network service such as PC Pursuit
for network connections and that such a connection will take place at
a baud rate which is less than what the directly-dialed connection
would occur at. The most common situation is for a connection between
two nodes operating at 2400 baud, but they use a 1200 baud service to
transfer their data. Marking a node with this service indicator may
cause the baud rates for connections which cost (i.e. cost not equal
to $0.00) to have their effective baud rates altered for the purpose
of determining connection rate and traffic flow.

"~" - This key toggles a marker that indicates to the network that
a particular node is a "Network Server" node and therefore has minimal
user activity and large throughput. Note that this affects the
routing algorithm for path determination between nodes because the
Network Editor will always select the path which contains the greater
count of servers, with cost and the number of hops being equal. This
tells NETEDIT that using a particular node over another is preferred.

"\" - This key toggles an indicator that tells the network that
there are other BBS systems operating at the node displayed. This
could require special procedures for the network to log on.

"^", "%", and - These commands are of use to coordinator
systems only. Respectively, they mark the displayed node as an area
coordinator, region coordinator, and network coordinator. In order to
use these commands, the sysop must have coordinator status equal to or
greater than the status of the command. These commands exist so that
a coordinator can pass on his duties to the operator of another node.



























The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 14.




The Condition Editor Subsystem

As described above, the Condition Editor has many of the same
commands as the Network Editor Subsystem. However, it has several
commands which are different or non-existant in the other subsystem.
Note that the condition editor is available only in the registered
version of the Network Editor, but it is available to both sysop and
user alike. Most of them are inactive when set to the zero or
disabled state. If multiple conditions are input, they are logically
anded together while searching for a match. Some of the data fields
require that the network connection analysis be performed. If any of
these fields are selected and an analysis has not been performed, the
Network Editor will perform an analysis based on the node actively
displayed when this subsystem was entered, if any. The commands are:

C - Minimum Cost: If the cost system is enabled, this data field
will select as a match any node whose destination cost for 1 Kb of
data is greater than or equal to the cost prompted for.

F - Minimum Flow: This data field will select any node whose flow
count is greater than or equal to the flow value prompted for. This
is useful for identifying high traffic nodes. Note that the node the
analysis is performed for has a flow value equal to infinity with
respect to this command, so it will always match.

H - Number of Hops: This data field will select all nodes which
are exactly the specified number of hops from the currently analyzed
node. If there are no nodes of the requested number of hops distant,
then the command will return a null condition. Note that since zero
is considered the inactive state for this field, it is not possible to
retrieve the currently analyzed node via this selection.

L - Select the Back Link Routing Node: This data field accepts a
node number and will select all nodes whose predecessor in the path
to them from the analyzed node is the node specified. This is useful
to determine which nodes may be affected by the deletion of a node.
Note that it does not select any nodes greater than one hop away
from the predecessor node specified. However, scanning through the
list of nodes selected will easily reveal if there are other nodes
further down the line by referring to their flow values.

P - Specify Phone Number Range: Instead of a prefix and exchange
serial components of a phone number, this command prompts for a range
of prefixes. It will select only those prefixes in the range
specified. If either end of the range is zero, the range is
considered open ended. An area code may also be specified, limiting
the prefix scan to that area only. An area code specified without
prefixes (both prefixes zero) will select all nodes in that area code.

@ - Specify Primary Routing Node: This data field accepts a node
number which should share a connection with the currently analyzed
node. If no such connection exists, no nodes will be selected. This
is useful for manipulating all nodes whose path crosses over a
particular connection.


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 15.




The Callout File Editor Subsystem

The callout editor subsystem exists so that a sysop may make the
corresponding adjustments to the network CALLOUT.NET file when
connections are added or changed. Please note that the callout editor
is available only in registered versions of the Network Editor. A
sample display follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Node # Cost SB NC RO * Mac Days Freq. Zip ATT PCP Hours Password
------ ---- -- -- -- -- --- ---- ----- --- --- --- ----- --------
@2 0.00 Y N N Y 99 1 0 Y N N 00-24 EIOUKLJCKLJWEJQD
@5 0.00 Y N N Y 0 1 0 Y N N 00-24 UOPINJKLANZASQEF
@13 0.00 Y Y N N 0 5 1 Y N Y 00-24 VNJIJPVGWELKJQWF
@411 0.01 Y Y N N 2 5 1 Y N Y 00-24
@1040 0.10 Y N N N 0 3 4 Y Y N 00-24 RYCVCIWEPOIKJFKJ
@3999 0.03 Y Y N N 0 7 1 Y Y N 00-24 OPMVMSLJOPWEICNM
@29864 0.25 Y Y Y Y 1 5 1 Y N Y 23-07 FJDKLASFJKLSDJFF

Callout Editor :
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Columns one and two should be the same as the connection section
of the network edit display, with only the cost to the node being
shown. The other columns in the display represent the various options
available for the CALLOUT.NET file. Users of the Network Editor are
directed to the WWIVNet network documentation for details on exactly
how each of these options affects network behavior. Note that only a
sysop may access the callout editor subsystem.
The following commands are available to the callout editor
subsystem and they are shown with their CALLOUT.NET functional
descriptions. Most of them act as toggle switches. They are:

A - Toggle the AT&T calling rate modifier.
D - Specify the number of days of no contact before attempting.
F - Specify the maximum number of times a connection should occur
in a 20 hour period.
H - Specify the opening hour (24 hr. format) for a callout window.
L - Specify the closing hour (24 hr. format) for a callout window.
M - Identify a callout macro to use. "0" means no macro.
P - Toggle the PC Pursuit calling rate modifier.
R - Toggle the "receive only" directional modifier.
S - Toggle the "send back" directional modifier.
Z - Toggle the network compression modifier (NET24 and later).
! - Toggle the "no call" rate modifier.
" - Delete or restore the network password for the connection.
^ - Toggle the "alternate protocol" modifier (NET29 and later).
* - Toggle the multiple-network transfer indicator (NET32 and
later).

For newly added connections, the Network Editor will add the
connection automatically to the CALLOUT.NET file, but it will not let
WWIV use the connection until the sysop has had a chance to
acknowledge the connection. This is accomplished by using a default
setting of "receive only with no callouts and send back disabled."


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 16.




The Subs Editor Subsystem

The Network Editor comes with a very simple message base network
file editor mode. This editor may be used to add, delete, sort, or
create the N*.NET files that exist in WWIV's data directory for
networked sub-boards. This subsystem consists of a listing of the
currently active file and all nodes listed for that "sub". If any
nodes which are unknown to the network are listed, they are preceded
by an asterisk ("*"). The commands are:

A - Add a node to the currently listed sub.
D - Delete a node from the currently listed sub.
F - Enter the Condition Editor to generate a new list.
P - Purge (clear) the sub data from memory.
R - Read a sub's node list.
W - Write a subs's node list.

The read and write commands can select other files besides the
message base node lists. Any file which is a node list may be
processed with these commands by specifying a filename (assumed to be
first in the current directory, then in the BBS's data directory) or a
pathname (full or relative pathnames are both acceptable) in place of
a sub number. The sub number is the network minor type, not the
internal number provided by WWIV's "Boardedit" menu.
Note that the sub list hat is maintained is identical to the list
generated by the "Condition Editor" subsystem and the option to enter
the condition editor to generate a list is intentional. Note that
using this option to generate a list will replace the entire list, not
append to the existing one. Therefore, care should be exercised. The
option is provided because of the popularity of networked message
bases restricted to certain types of hardware, area codes, regions,
etc.
























The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 17.



Acknowledgments


IBM PC, XT, and AT are trademarks of IBM Corporation.

WWIV is a trademark of Wayne Bell and is used with his permission.

Hayes, Telebit, USR Robotics, and other such terms used in this
document are trade names of the respective manufacturers of these
products.

AT&T is a trademark abbreviation of American Telephone and
Telegraph. Use of this trademark is by no means intended as an
advertisement or endorsement of any sort.

PC Pursuit is a trademark of GTE Telenet. Use of this trademark
is by no means intended as an advertisement of any sort.

Black Dragon Enterprises is the trade name of the author. The
author, by use of this name, is by no means attempting to defraud any
individual, corporation, or agency or political subdivision of the
United States government or the public at large. One should contact
the author at any of the address(es) listed below:

[email protected]

D. Stussy
12444 Rochedale Lane
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1919

Please make registration checks and money orders payable in the
name of the author. Please do not use "Black Dragon Enterprises" as
the payable entity. See the section section titled "License and
Warranty" for the amount of the registration fee.

BBS: (310) 470-6869, running WWIV 4.21A or later.
Baud: 300, 1200, and 2400, 8 bits, no parity modem connections
9600+ baud connections may be available in the near future.

The above information is current as of the date of this document
and are subject to change without notice. Any use of the phone number
or BBS name in any of the sample displays is accidental and not
intended as an advertisement of any sort. It is possible that the
actual software distributed with this documentation may have
additional features, minor operational changes, or cosmetic changes as
compared to this document. Regardless, if any divergence is noted, an
oversight in the authorship of the manual is probably the cause.










The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 18.



Appendix 1 - Network Messages

The following message types are used by the Network Editor for it
to communicate with its other instances. All messages are network
software main type 8. They are listed here by "minor type:"

0 - A partial update to the BBSLIST information.
1 - A request for BBSLIST information to be changed.
2 - A partial update to the connection information.
3 - A request for connection information to be changed.
4 - An update to NETEDIT's registration record from the author.
5 - A transmittal of the installation message to the author.
6 - A request for a node to transmit its registration record.
7 - A response to the author's request for a registration record.
8 - A remote request for a network analysis (as per "/A").
9 - An ASCII text response to a remote analysis.
10 - Network Editor E-mail and/or automatic feedback.
11 - A message reporting an error condition.
12 - A request for installation and version information.
13 - An ASCII text response to a version information request.
14 - A request for a node's aliases (Node number and network name
pairs, used for the multiple-network data transfers).
15 - A response to the alias request, deposited to a file called
ALIASES.NET in WWIV's data directory.


Minor types between 16 and 256 are undefined and their receipt
generates an error condition (minor type 11 message returned) to the
originator. Minor types above 255 are ignored completely. Future
versions of NETEDIT may support additional types of messages. The
author also reserves the right to use minor types above 255 for any
other program under his authorship.

























The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 19.



Appendix 2 - DOS Error Return Codes

The following return codes are returned by the Network Editor to
DOS to reflect whether or not correct processing or complete
processing occurred.

0 - No Errors (Normal Return)
1 - Could not find registration record
2 - Could not read CONFIG.DAT
3 - Could not read STATUS.DAT in the BBS's data directory
4 - Could not read NETWORKS.DAT in the BBS's data directory
5 - Out of memory while initializing
6 - System is not assigned a node number
7 - Out of memory while initializing
8 - Corrupted registration record
9 - System not listed in the network data files
10 - CHAIN.TXT file required and not found
11 - Incorrect System Password
12 - Out of memory and could not write to a temporary file

Return codes above 12 are undefined and should not occur. If for
some reason, an error code not listed above occurs with this version,
then either you are using the version of this program compiled with
hardware floating point (80287 or better) and you do not have a
coprocessor, coprocessor emulator, or an 80286 or better CPU, or there
is probably something wrong with your DOS version. Future versions of
NETEDIT may return additional return codes (greater than 12).






























The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 20.



Appendix 3 - The XINSTALL.COM Program

The Network Editor comes with its own installation program called
XINSTALL.COM. This program is used to install, register, change, and
remove NETEDIT from WWIV. It has two sections; the first of which is
self explanatory. The first section asks for registration information
which may be transmitted to the author. It will display the
information it can figure out from the WWIV installation present and
will leave the other fields blank. During first-time installation, it
will immediately ask the sysop to supply the required information.
The registration record information does require that the sysop be
cooperative. Information which is already entered correctly may be
skipped by simply hitting . Otherwise, please specify the real
name, not a handle (which will be extracted automatically by
XINSTALL), a 2-letter postal abbreviation for the state of residency,
and a US "ZIP+4" postal zip code. In addition, this section tells the
Network Editor where to find its help file, NETEDIT.MSG. If the path
entry is blank, NETEDIT will look in WWIV's "G-files" directory for
its file.
The second section of the installation program deals with various
program settings which are available. Most of these shall apply to
the registered version. However, there is no separate installation
program for the registered and demonstration versions. Below is a
sample of the options screen:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
NETEDIT Installed : Yes
Registered Version : Yes

Analyze Updates : Yes
Cost Structure : Ignored
Data Encoding Used : Yes
Encoded Updates Only: Yes
Method #1 Encoding : Not Required
Purge Message Files : Yes
Sort Data Automatic : Yes
Update Output File : P0.NET
Quit [All Done]

Toggle which [First Letter of option]:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The first two entries are for information only. They indicate
what NETEDIT is telling WWIV about itself and are provided for
confirmation of a correct installation. The other options are changed
by typing the first letter of the option name (or "Q" when finished).
They are described as follows:

Analyze Updates - Controls whether or not the Network Editor will
analyze the network when updates are received. If active, NETEDIT
will generate the routing files for the net. Otherwise, it will only
process the updated information and return to WWIV so that the BBS may
invoke the NETWORK3.EXE program.

Cost Structure - Some networks do not use the cost structure that
NETEDIT operates on. Changing this option to read "Ignored" instead


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 21.



of "used" will cause the Network Editor to perform routing analysis
without regard to defined cost factors. All cost factors present in
the network will be retained and preserved by NETEDIT but will remain
unused until this option is reversed.

Data Encoding Used - Enabling this option causes all information
that the Network Editor places onto the network to be encoded via
method 2. No encoding is performed with this option disabled. The
file DE2.COM is provided with NETEDIT to decode any incoming encoded
messages and it may be placed anywhere in the DOS path.

Encoded Updates Only - Enabling this option forces NETEDIT to
reject any update message (but not requests and other types as
described in the Appendices) which has not been encoded with any
currently available encoding scheme. This is used in conjunction with
the above option on the transmission side. With this option off,
unencoded updates may be accepted as well. It is suggested that this
option be left off unless there is a problem with someone on the
network passing bogus information.

Method 1 Encoding Only - This option should only be enabled if the
only acceptable update encoding method is method 1. Only Wayne Bell,
the author of WWIV can encode information with this method.
Therefore, this option should rarely be used, except at his request.
All other update information, regardless of encoding method (including
none) will be ignored when this option is active.

Purge Message Files - Upon processing a network update, the
Network Editor has the option of removing all unknown systems from the
message base network file listings (the "N*.NET" files in the BBS's
data directory). Enabling this option permits NETEDIT to
automatically remove all unknown systems from the message bases. Note
that an unreachable system is not an unknown system. Therefore, the
Network Editor will not remove systems where no path to them exists as
long as it knows the system. The default option is to leave this off,
which implies that the sysop must purge his files manually.

Sort Data Automatic - Normally, NETEDIT will sort the network data
by order of node number when initializing. However, on slower
machines, this may cause an unwarranted delay. Therefore, the sysop
has the option of bypassing the initial sort, thus speeding up the
initialization time when the Network Editor is loaded. Note that
certain other commands throughout NETEDIT may require sorted data. If
this option is set to "No", these commands will automatically sort the
data regardless.

Update Output File - This option should normally be left set to
"P0.NET". However, when it is desired to use an external encoding
method (one other than none or method 2), updated information may be
written to two "*.OUT" files in WWIV's data directory. Enabling this
option to read "*.OUT" allows the sysop to pick up and encode the
updates externally to NETEDIT. Note that the output files do not
contain a network header or any routing information.

End of Documentation - The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40.


The WWIV Network Editor - Version 1.40 Page 22.