Searcher 1.2

A door to search BBS filelists
and any other text files

by Bill Hay
February 17, 1990

The Teletech BBS (804)671-8755 1:271/306


Table of Contents:

I -- Contents
II -- Introduction
III -- The Big Picture
IV -- Setting up Searcher to scan for text in BBS filelists
V -- Setting up Searcher to scan through a list of BBSes
VI -- Automating a filelist searcher if several BBSes participate
VII -- Acknowledgements
VIII -- Conclusion

I. Contents

This Zipfile should include the following files:

SEARCHER.EXE .... The Searcher door
SEARCHER.DOC .... The documentation you are reading
SEARCHER.NEW .... List of new features in Searcher

FINDFILE.ZIP .... Example files for searching BBS file lists
MENU.ANS ........ Ansi menu for using Searcher to search file lists
MENU.ASC ........ Ascii menu
HELP.ANS ........ Ansi help screen
HELP.ASC ........ Ascii help screen
FINDFILE.CFG .... Example configuration file

FINDBBS.ZIP ..... Example files for searching a list of BBSes
MENU.ANS ........ Ansi menu for using Searcher to search a BBS list
MENU.ASC ........ Ascii menu for Searcher
HELP.ANS ........ Ansi help screen
HELP.ASC ........ Ascii help screen
FINDBBS.CFG ..... Example configuration file


II. Introduction

Searcher is a door which will search through any text files. It
should work with any BBS software that creates a DORINFO1.DEF file
(such as QuickBBS, XBBS, RBBS, OLEcom, and others). BBS programs that
do not create a DORINF01.DEF file will require a door conversion
utility such as QuickDoor by Christopher Hall.

For the sake of compatibility with various computer systems, a fossil
driver such as BNU by David Nugent is required. Searcher has been
tested with QuickBBS 2.63 and BNU 1.70.

Searcher will monitor a user's remaining time, whether carrier is
dropped, and whether the user waits too long to press a key. Do not
use a separate utility to monitor the carrier.

Two Zipfiles with example setups are included. FINDFILE.ZIP
demonstrates how to set up Searcher to search through filelists. It
is useful for helping users find just which BBSes have files that
they are looking for. FINDBBS.ZIP shows how to configure Searcher
to search for text in a list of BBSes.


III. The Big Picture

Searcher can be configured in many different ways, and the best way
to learn how to set it up is to read through the two examples which
will follow. In general, though, Searcher works like this:

1. A directory is created for the door.

2. Menu and help files are edited to reflect how the door is being
used. MENU.ANS and MENU.ASC display these commands:

iew - View the text files
earch - Search through the text files
elp - Display the help file
uit - Quit to the BBS

HELP.ANS and HELP.ASC provide information about the door for users.

3. The text files that will be searched are placed in the door's
directory.

4. A configuration file is edited which specifies a description and
filename for each text file.

5. The BBS calls Searcher, either directly or through a batch file. The
calling syntax is:

SEARCHER.EXE [Dorinfo name] [Configuration file name]


IV. Setting up Searcher to scan for text in BBS file lists

This section demonstrates how to use Searcher to scan multiple text
files. The next section will explain how to configure Searcher if it
is to be used with only one text file.

1. Create a directory for the door, such as C:\BBS\FINDFILE.

2. Unzip the file FINDFILE.ZIP into that directory.

3. Move the text files that you want searched into the directory.

4. Edit the configuration file for the door.


The configuration file must follow an alternating format of
text file description, text file name, description, name, etc.

It can be named anything, and in this example is called
FINDFILE.CFG. Here is what it looks like:

The Teletech BBS (804)671-8755 1:271/306
TELETECH.LST
Fred's BBS (804)555-3456 7:555/344
FREDSBBS.LST
Barney's BBS (804)555-2344 7:555/214
BARNEY.TXT

Up to 21 text files can be specified.

The filenames cannot include paths, so the text files must be in
the same directory as the configuration file. This is to provide
security in the event that some sysops automate the exchange of
file lists.

5. To call Searcher, use this syntax:

SEARCHER.EXE [Dorinfo name] [Configuration file name]

Here is an example to call Searcher with a Type 7 menu item in
QuickBBS:

SEARCHER.EXE DORINFO1.DEF C:\BBS\FINDFILE\FINDFILE.CFG

Note that "SEARCHER.EXE" rather than just "SEARCHER" was used.
This is necessary for QuickBBS to be able to run Searcher.

In this example, the pathname specified for FINDFILE.CFG not only
gives C:\BBS\FINDFILE as the location of FINDFILE.CFG, but also
lets Searcher know that the menus, help files, and filelists
are in C:\BBS\FINDFILE.

Since no directory was specified for SEARCHER.EXE and
DORINFO1.DEF, it is assumed that they are in the current
directory.

Important: Note that SEARCHER.EXE does not have to reside in the
same directory as the configuration file. This allows
the same copy of SEARCHER.EXE to be used for different
door setups.

A batch file could have been used instead of calling Searcher
directly. The BBS would call the batch file, which would then
run Searcher with the command line that was shown above.


V. Setting up Searcher to scan for text in a list of BBSes

This section demonstrates how to use Searcher with a single text
file. The preceding section describes how to set up Searcher if
several text files are to be used by the door.

1. Create a directory for the door, such as C:\BBS\FINDBBS.

2. Unzip the file FINDBBS.ZIP into that directory.

3. Move the BBS list that you want searched into the directory.

4. Edit a configuration file for the door.

The configuration file can be called anything. In this example it
is called FINDBBS.CFG and can look like this:

; Either leave line blank, or have semicolon as first character
BBSLIST.TXT ; Name of a BBS list

Since only one text file is used in this example, a description
was not needed on the first line. Searcher treats the semicolon as
the end of the line.

5. To call Searcher, use this syntax:

SEARCHER.EXE [Dorinfo name] [Configuration file name]

Here is an example to call Searcher with a Type 7 menu item in
QuickBBS:

SEARCHER.EXE DORINFO1.DEF C:\BBS\FINDBBS\FINDBBS.CFG

Note that "SEARCHER.EXE" rather than just "SEARCHER" was used.
This is necessary for QuickBBS to be able to run Searcher.

In this example, the pathname specified for FINDBBS.CFG not only
gives C:\BBS\FINDBBS as the location of FINDBBS.CFG, but also
lets Searcher know that the menus, help files, and the BBS list
are in C:\BBS\FINDBBS.

Since no directory was specified for SEARCHER.EXE and
DORINFO1.DEF, it is assumed that they are in the current
directory.

Important: Note that SEARCHER.EXE does not have to reside in the
same directory as the configuration file. This allows
the same copy of SEARCHER.EXE to be used for different
door setups.

A batch file could have been used instead of calling Searcher
directly. The BBS would call the batch file, which would then
run Searcher with the command line that was shown above.


VI. Automating a filelist searcher if several BBSes participate

Searcher can be particularly useful if several BBSes coordinate the
exchange of their filelists. Since Searcher uses text files in an
unprocessed form, it is probably not of practical use if all the
filelists are huge. However, free bulletin board systems tend to have
small lists, so Searcher might provide a method to help small BBSes
compete against the BBSes that have gigantic file collections.

Here is how BBSes in my city are exchanging lists:

1. Participating BBSes upload new versions of their list every week
or two to a central BBS. For example, each week I create a master
list for my BBS called TELETECH.LST. I then zip it up like this:

PKZIP TELETECH.FFS TELETECH.LST

The FFS extension is substituted here for ZIP. FFS is short for
-=FBBS=- File Searcher, and -=FBBS=- is a group of free local
BBSes in Tidewater, VA.

2. The central BBS maintains two files:

MASTER.FFS - A Zipfile containing the most recent versions of
all the file lists.
UPDATE.FFS - A Zipfile containing only the file lists that
were uploaded the past week.

Both MASTER.FFS and UPDATE.FFS also contain the current
configuration file for the door.

3. New sysops will need to download MASTER.FFS to get started.
Once the door is set up, sysops can download UPDATE.FFS every week
or so. They can then use the "PKUNZIP -o" command to unzip it on
top of the old BBS file lists in the door's directory.

Except for the editing of the configuration file, everything could be
automated with events and batch files. Boards with front-end mailers
could exchange the lists quite easily, and other boards could
automate things by using script files with their communications
programs. When a new BBS joins the filelist distribution network, the
central BBS adds that board to the configuration file, which is then
sent along with the board's filelist in the UPDATE.FFS file.


VII. Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Stephan Howard of the Touch of Ireland BBS for
his support and ideas during the development of Searcher, and for
allowing his board to be the distribution point for our local file
lists. The Fidonet address of his BBS is 1:271/312 and the phone
number is (804)495-4955.


VIII. Conclusion

Searcher is provided free of charge, but there are some requirements
for using it:

1. Do not hold me responsible for any damage that it might cause your
system. Searcher works well for me, but use it only at your own risk.

2. Feel free to edit the menu and help files for your own use, but
please don't re-package Searcher with your edited versions. Only
distribute the original package, without any additions, deletions,
or renamings.

If you like, you can distribute your own package of menu files,
help files, and configuration file. BUT, please don't include
SEARCHER.EXE, or any other of my files. In your file, you could
note that the regular Searcher package is needed.

Although I'm not charging for Searcher, contributions toward my BBS are
certainly welcome.

Bill Hay
5284 Fairfield Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23464

The Teletech BBS (804)671-8755 1:271/306

Thanks for trying Searcher!