Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : TAPEDR42.ZIP
Filename : TAPEDOOR.DOC

TAPE DOOR VER 4.2


// What's Tape Door 4.2 ?? //

Tape Door is a utility door to allow a caller to have access to your tape
drive, This will let you store 60 to 700 meg of slow files on your tape and
still claim them as on-line files, Also saving you $350.00 to $2,300 dollars
for a hard disk of same size when your Tape Drive Just Sits There and looks
Dumb!!!.

Tape Door 4.2 works on ANY Tape Backup system that will run on a command
line like Colorado , Mountain and Sytos then this is the door for you.


// What BBS types can use TAPE DOOR 4.2 //

PCBOARD.SYS <- For PCBoard systems using PCBOARD.SYS only
USERS.SYS <- For PCBoard systems using USERS.SYS
CALLINFO.BBS <- For Wildcat! systems.
DOOR.SYS <- For systems that support DOOR.SYS
DORINFOx.DEF <- For QBBS/RBBS/RA. Replace x with Node #.
SFDOORS.DAT <- For Spitfire systems.

When using PCBOARD.SYS, Tape Door requires that PCBOARD.DAT be in the same
directory as PCBOARD.SYS. Tape Door also accesses the USERS file.

When using USERS.SYS, Tape Door also accesses PCBOARD.SYS, PCBOARD.DAT and the
USERS file.

The DOOR.SYS used by Tape door is the standard 52 line GAP (tm) file.

The CALLINFO.BBS used by Tape Door currently contains 36 lines.



// What else //

Tapedoor will wait 3 min for no keyboard activity then send a Keyboard
Time-out msg. and exit back to the BBS.

Will watch the Com Port For NO Carrier And Return back to The BBS

The HOME key will bring up the help screen where ,F-5 Will Shell to dos,
F-9 will clear the screen, F-8 will dump the caller, F-10 will enter chat
mode, you may also change the time the user has in the door.
Read the whats new file for more info.

These files must be in the same Directory as TAPE42.EXE.

TAPE42.CFG --> Config file.
TAPE_42.BAT --> Calls Tape Drive Program.
VOLUME --> Menu for Volume Listings.
HELP.INF --> Help File.
# --> # Being The Volume Listing Text File.
POST.MSG --> The last screen displayed to the caller.

Other files.
LOG.INF --> Will be made by Tape Door if you choose to keep one.
TAPEADD.ZIP --> Used to verify file has been restored (Read Its Doc).
TAPEDOOR.BAT --> Example bat file Using ErrorLevels.
CALL-IT.ZIP --> Stop Unwanted drop to dos from calling a bat file.
1 and 2 --> Just a sample on the Files Lists for each Volume Number.
POST2.MSG --> Another Post Message, Rename to POST.MSG if you want it.
TAPEDOOR.DOC --> Guess!.
WHATS.NEW --> Whats new, Also Needed Info on running Tape Door.
REGISTER.DOC --> Registration info.


// How Do I Make it Work //

DID YOU READ // WHATS.NEW // ????

THEN edit TAPE42.CFG to your needs

C:\PCB\PCBOARD.SYS <- For PCBoard systems using PCBOARD.SYS only
C:\PCB\USERS.SYS <- For PCBoard systems using USERS.SYS
C:\WC\CALLINFO.BBS <- For Wildcat! systems.
C:\DOOR.SYS <- For systems that support DOOR.SYS
C:\QBBS\DORINFOx.DEF <- For QBBS/RBBS/RA. Replace x with Node #.
C:\SF\SFDOORS.DAT <- For Spitfire systems. (Note:This is line 1)
U.S.A BBS <- BBS name
Ray <- Sysop's first name
Tracey <- Sysop's last name
Y or N <- Y if you would like a log file (LOG.INF)
Y or N <- Ask For A Volume number
Y or N <- Restore Files By Volume Not By Filename,line 6 must be Y
# <- Where # is the is the amount of files to be restored
Y or N <ÄÄ¿ - at one time max is 8, If use a volume # then the max
³ - will be 7, If restoring files by volume and not
³ - by filename this line should not be left blank!!
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ><- Y if you want to allow the use of * or ? in the
- Filename

The Command To call Tape Door will be TAPE42 TAPE42.CFG

NOTE: Tapedoor supports COM 1-4 on the standard IRQ's - COM1/COM3 = IRQ4 and
COM2/COM4 = IRQ3. If you wish to use a non-standard IRQ, add the IRQ
number after the configuration filename. Let's assume you want to use
COM1 and IRQ5. The command line passed to your Door would be:

TAPE42 TAPE42.CFG /5

The /5 tells Tape Door to use IRQ5 rather than the standard IRQ4 that
is normally used with COM1. No /x parameter is needed for the standard
IRQ's.


// On drives that use the volume and filename.//

The files you backup to tape must ALL be from the SAME Directory, You can't
backup from C:\TEST\ on the first then backup from C:\SF\GAMES\ on the 2nd
they must all come from the same directory name the drive doesn't matter,
I rename my Dir's To TAPE the back them up from there.


// TAPE_42.BAT File //

(TAPE42.EXE Will return up to 9 parameters when it calls TAPE_4.BAT These will
differ on how you have TAPE42.CFG

(1). If you chose to use a volume with a filename then

%1 = com port, %2 = volume #, %3,%4,%5,%6,%7,%8 and %9 = Filename
remember tape door will only ask for the amount of files on line 8

(2). If you chose to use just a filename then

%1 = com port, %2,%3,%4,%5,%6,%7,%8 and %9 = Filename

(3). If you Chose to use just a volume number to restore files then

%1 = com port , %2 = volume # , %3 = *.*


ECHO @ECHO OFF > POST.BAT
ECHO CTTY COM%1 >> POST.BAT
ECHO TAPE RESTORE \TAPE\%3 C:\SF\RESTORE\ /V=%2 >> POST.BAT
ECHO CTTY CON >> POST.BAT


TAPE RESTORE, tells it to Restore a file(%3) from the tape directory of \TAPE\
to a dir of C:\SF\RESTORE\ From a volume of (%2).
The CTTY Command will Display the tape software displays out of com1
to remote.

You can have your events or a pre boot file clean up the restore dir, you can
have it DEL C:\RESTORE\*.ZIP AND COPY A NEW SFFILES OR DIR LISTING to that
file area.

I have added a file called TAPEADD that will verify if a file exists and
will add the filename, size and a line to the Dir listing for the
restored directory if any. If the file was not found it will append a
message to the dir file stating that the file does not exists.
read the tapeadd.doc for more info.


Tape door will feed all of needed info to restore the files to TAPE_42.bat
this is the bat file that will make your tape drive and bbs do what ever
you need it to do. The TAPE_42.bat will echo all that is in this bat and
append it to a file called POST.BAT it is THIS file that really Runs your
tape drive. After this file is made TAPE DOOR will Exit if you wish to
restore The files as soon as the caller exits the door you should call
POST.BAT right after the line in your BBS batch file that called TAPE42.EXE
If this is how you would do it, Then have the first line in TAPE_42.BAT
use the ECHO [COMMANDS] > POST.BAT, Commands being what ever you want
and have each line after use the ECHO [COMMANDS] >> POST.BAT this will
make the POST.BAT fille.

Errorlevels:

Tape Door now uses errorlevels in the calling batch file
errorlevel 255 is passed when a user selects 4 to exit the door
errorlevel 254 is passed when the user restores a file and a
errorlevel of 253 is passed when a user aborts a restore job.

Here is my batch file! (TAPEDOOR.BAT)

@ECHO OFF
CD\SF\DOORS\TAPEDOOR
:LOOP
TAPE42 TAPE42.CFG
IF ERRORLEVEL 255 GOTO GONE
IF ERRORLEVEL 254 GOTO RESTORE1
IF ERRORLEVEL 253 GOTO NOPE
GOTO GONE
:RESTORE1
REM ERR=254 WAS CALLED "CALLING TAPE DRIVE/POST.BAT"
CALL-IT POST.BAT
DEL POST.BAT
GOTO LOOP
:NOPE
REM ERR=253 WAS CALLED "ABORTED RESTORE JOB"
GOTO LOOP
:GONE
REM ERR=255 WAS CALLED "EXIT DOOR"

Ver 4.1 had a batch file the looked something like this and will still
run the door just fine.


CD\SF\TAPEDOOR
TAPE42 TAPE42.CFG
IF EXIST C:\SF\TAPEDOOR\POST.BAT THEN GOTO POST
GOTO NEXT
:POST
CALL POST.BAT
DEL POST.BAT
GOTO NEXT
:NEXT
Then the rest of your BBS'S batch file will follow


If you wish to have the files restored once a day as a event have the first
line in TAPE_42.BAT use the ECHO COMMAND'S >> POST.BAT, then each line
after that use the >> also, This will append each callers session to
POST.BAT. remember to have your events call POST.BAT not the doors bat

// VOLUME FILE //

You can have this file any size you like.

If you chose to restore files by filename then when this file is displayed when
a caller presses 2 from the tape door menu it will then prompt him to enter a
Volume Number to display, If the caller pressed 2 tape door will attempt to open
a text file of 2 that you have made to coincide with the volumes.

ÕÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸
³Volume³ Description ³Volume³ Description ³
ÆÍÍÍÍÍÍØÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍØÍÍÍÍÍÍØÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͵
³ 1 ...³ Printer Utilities. ³ 11...³BBS Phone Numbers. ³
³ 2 ...³ Spitfire Utilities & Doors. ³ 12...³ ³
³ 3 ...³ Miscellaneous Files. ³ 13...³ ³
³ 4 ...³ Sys, Disk And Misc Files. ³ 14...³ ³
³ 5 ...³ Compression Programs. ³ 15...³ ³
³ 6 ...³ All Kinds Of Stuff. ³ 16...³ ³
³ 7 ...³ Education & Text Files. ³ 17...³ ³
³ 8 ...³ Word Processors & Editors. ³ 18...³ ³
³ 9 ...³ Batch Files & Misc Files. ³ 19...³ ³
³ 10...³ Games,Games And More Games. ³ 20...³ ³
ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ;

If you chose to restore only by volume number then you could put the descriptions
of these files in a text file named the same as the volume number, if a caller
attempted to view the files and their was no text file of that name it will
just return - file not found - to the user

: NOTE :
If this section, and how it asks for a volume to view is not to your needs
then when you register Tape Door I will change how it will ask for a volume
to view or just have it display a list of files or volumes with out asking
to view anything!! is short IF you reg this program I will do what i can
to change TAPE DOOR 4.2 TO Fit your TAPE DRIVE need's.

// Color Me //

Example usage of the (~ ` @ ^ | { and }) the color specfied by the symbols you are using
will only color what is in between them and you can only use one set of
symbols per line and must start and end with the same symbol.
line without any symbols will be displayed white non color usere all text
will be lite white or gray. The space that the symbols will hold will be
deleted so you must add a space befor and after each symbol.
the best way to add the color is to make your display or text file
then add a symbol move to the front of that symbol and put a space
and a space after the trailing symbol also.

~ = blue
` = green
@ = cyan
^ = red
| = magenta
{ = yellow
} = white

This is a ^sample^ use of symbols ,,, the word sample will be red and
the rest is white.

^This is a sample use of symbols^,,, the whole string is red

You can use the symbols in The VOLUME file the POST.MSG file and the HELP.INF
File.

// Non BBS Use? //

Tape Door could be used as a Utility for your tape drive system to
ease the task of finding one of your files,Just make or save a LOCAL
logon bbs file (PCBOARD.SYS, SFDOORS.DAT) to fool the door!.

You could even set it up as a OFF-LINE Request door! Just have
Tapedoor make the calling bat files for the files and dont call the
bat file! then You Run the batch file when you feel like running it!.
If you have more then one tape for the files then run more then one
door and have each door make a different bat file add about 20 ANSI
BEEBS to the start of each file a echo to insert tape# and a pause
then have one bat file call all the other requested bat files.
Dont for get to make a POST.MSG telling the user their file will be
returned on-line for them in 4 to 7 days.


// DISCLAIMER //

Use of this program acknowledges this disclaimer of warranty: "This program
is supplied as is. Raymond Tracey disclaims all warranties, express or
implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability
and of fitness of this program for any purpose. Raymond Tracey assumes no
liability for damages direct or consequential, which may result from the
use of this program."



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