MODKIT, version 4.0



INTRODUCTION

A Procomm+ script can be built by combining standard modules, each of
which accomplishes a pre-determined task.

This modular approach permits the writing of complex scripts with
minimum effort.

MODKIT is designed to automate operations on your favourite BBS.
Version 4 supports PCBoard and WildCat. Support for other BBS software
can be added by any user familiar with the ASPECT language.

A timer, included with MODKIT, will let you initiate communications
sessions automatically, at a chosen time, during the night for example.
It is possible to contact various BBS'es successively, without operator
intervention, and to execute in each case a series of tasks, for example
downloading files.

The following instructions assume that you are familiar with Procomm+,
and also with PCBoard and/or WildCat in manual mode. A general
knowledge of Procomm's ASPECT language will facilitate understanding.



CONTENTS OF MODKIT.ARC

Here is a list of the files contained in MODKIT.ARC:

easy.mod
relais.mod
alley.mod
logon.mod
getmail.mod
uload.mod The sandardized communications modules
dload.mod (described in next section).
answer.mod
enter.mod
bul.mod
join35.mod
aban.mod
bye.mod

make.bat
add.bat
lis.bat Batch files to facilitate use of modules.
son.bat
tim.bat

change.com Public domain utilities,
waituntl.com used by the batch files.

procomm.set Example of a Procomm+ setup

modkit.doc This file



MODULE DESCRIPTION

The modules are designed for PCBoard version 14.1, and WildCat version
2.00P.

(NOTE: All module names end with the .MOD extension. This extension is
omitted in the following, to simplify text)


EASY These are header modules, each corresponding to a
ALLEY particular BBS, and containing information specific to that
RELAIS BBS and to yourself.

LOGON This module establishes contact with the BBS, using the info
contained in the header module.

GETMAIL This procedure will get new mail, and also the list of new
files.

DLOAD Downloads a file.

ULOAD Uploads a file.

ANSWER Answer a message.

ENTER Enter a new message (not an answer).

BUL Get a bulletin.

JOIN35 Join conference 35. This module can be modified easily to
join other conferences.

ABAN Abandon a conference, that is, return to Main Board.

BYE End communications session. Reset everything to normal
and hang up.



INSTALLATION

All modules contained in the archive must be copied to the same
directory that contains Procomm+ (except MODKIT.DOC and PROCOMM.SET,
which can be placed elsewhere).

The file DSZ.COM (not included here) must also be present in the
Procomm+ directory for the DLOAD and ULOAD modules to work. DSZ.COM is
an external protocol supporting XMODEM, YMODEM and ZMODEM. ULOAD and
DLOAD use the XMODEM implementation. The modules call this program
directly, without your intervention, as long as it is present in the
Procomm+ directory. The use of DSZ is made necessary by a bug in
Procomm+'s ASPECT interpreter. Following a file transfer, the WAITFOR
instruction misbehaves. This problem exists for all protocols except
KERMIT and ASCII. Datastorm Technologies does not have a patch for
this bug at this time.

Provided with the kit are the header modules for ALLEYCAT, EASY
ACCESS, and LE RELAIS. Each header module is specific to a BBS and
must contain the corresponding number(s) of your Procomm+ dialing
directory. Each header must also contain you first and last names,
your password, and the name for the LOG file assigned to that BBS.
With a text editor or word processor, you must customize each header
module by writing in the necessary information. The modules must then
be saved in pure ASCII, that is, un-formatted.

The other modules do not need to be customized and can be used in their
original form.

PCBOARD: If you wish to join conferences other than number 35, you must
create these modules from the JOIN35 module. Copy that file while
renaming it. Then, with your text editor, change the conference number
variable at the beginning of the module. You must also specify if the
conference belongs to "Echo Mail". "Echo Mail" is a network where
messages are repeated to other BBS's across North America. Most
conferences are not "Echo Mail". Ask your SYSOP if he is a member of
the network.

Your Procomm+ setup must also be adequate. This concerns particularly
your ASCII TRANSFER OPTIONS and your GENERAL OPTIONS. Included with the
kit is the file PROCOMM.SET, containing my personal setup. The scripts
work fine with it.

There are also requirements concerning your personal setup on PCBoard.
Your default protocol must be XMODEM CRC, otherwise you will have to
modifiy the GETFILE and SENDFILE commands in the ULOAD and DLOAD
modules. Secondly, you must be in EXPERT mode on PCBOARD, otherwise,
some prompts will be different, and you will have to modify the modules.

On WildCat also, your default protocol must be XMODEM CRC.

Finally, you will notice that in the LOGON and BYE modules, the commands
ATM0 and ATM1 are sent to the modem. These commands are valid for a
Hayes or compatible modem. If your modem is different, you may have to
modify them.

This completes the installation procedure.



TOOLS AND EXAMPLES

At the beginning of each module, there is a section for the
parameters. These parameters are numbers and strings which vary
according to use. For a given user, some parameters are almost fixed,
for example your name, password, phone number, or the default
directories for ULOAD, DLOAD, ENTER and ANSWER. With an ASCII text
editor, you can write in those parameters once and for all, and save
the modified modules permanently. Other parameters will change each
time you use the kit. For example the name of the file to upload or
download, or the name of the file containing the text of a message. In
the latter case, the parameters are not written into the basic
modules, but rather into the script MADE.ASP, which is generated as
follows.

Batch files are supplied to combine the modules.

The first batch is MAKE.BAT, which "glues" together up to nine basic
modules to generate the script MADE.ASP. This script will be executed
by Procomm+.

Syntax: make

....

Example 1: make relais logon getmail dload bye [RETURN]

Please note that:

a) you must NOT include the .MOD extension when naming the modules

b) the first two modules must always be:

1) a header module
2) the logon module

c) the last module must always be BYE, which terminates the
communications session.

MAKE.BAT generates a new script MADE.ASP each time it is used, that
is, it first deletes any existing copy. If you wish to ADD modules to
the existing script, you must use ADD.BAT. This batch allows you to
add up to nine modules with each use, and thus building scripts of
unlimited length:


Syntax: add ....

Example 2: add easy logon answer bye [RETURN]


Those two tools, MAKE and ADD, generate and update a list of the
modules contained in MADE.ASP. This list is kept in the file MADE.LIS.
After executing the two previous examples, MADE.LIS will contain the
following list:

relais
logon
getmail
dload
bye
easy
logon
answer
bye

LIS.BAT displays the list of modules:

Syntax: lis [RETURN]

Once MADE.ASP has been created, you must use a text editor to write
into the module ANSWER the number of the message to be answered, and
the name of the file containing the answer. Similarly, in the DLOAD
module, you must write in the name of the file to be downloaded.

In the modules ENTER and ANSWER, variable S7 is used only for "Echo

Mail" conferences. For normal conferences, it has no effect.

The texts of messages for the ANSWER and ENTER modules must be
prepared using an ASCII text editor. If you use a word processor, the
texts must be saved un-formatted. A text may contain blank lines, as
long as in your Procomm+ setup, you have set ASCII TRANSFER OPTIONS
to: "Expand blank lines =YES"

If you wish to answer more than one message, you must use multiple
copies of the module ANSWER. Example 3:

C> make relais logon getmail answer answer answer bye

Then, you must write into the script MADE.ASP, at the beginning of
each copy of module ANSWER, the number of the message each copy
answers to, and the name of the file containing the corresponding
text. The same method is used for ENTER, DLOAD and ULOAD.

You will note that MADE.ASP will execute without a sound, because the
PC and modem speakers are de-activated by the LOGON module. If you
wish to hear the sounds normally, you must use SON.BAT, which makes
the speakers active. This batch uses the CHANGE.COM utility.
CNANGE.COM is limited to a file size of 30,000 bytes. For larger
files, you must use another method.

Timer:

TIM.BAT will execute the script MADE.ASP at a specified time:

Syntax: tim hh:mm:ss

Example: tim 04:00:00 [RETURN] (MADE.ASP will be executed at 4h00 AM)






NOTES TO PROGRAMMERS


Each module is responsible for giving the first level prompt to the
next module. To put it another way, any module (except LOGON), when it
starts, will assume that the BBS is waiting for a command, and that
the last prompt received was the first level prompt (ex. "Main Board
Command", or "Conference Command" if you are in a conference).

Never use the GOTO statement, as the script MADE.ASP may contain
multiple copies of the same module.

Each module actually contains two different scripts, one for PCBoard
and one for WildCat. When the header module is executed, variable N0
is set to 1 for PCBoard, or to 2 for WildCat. The status of variable
N0 is then tested at the beginning of each module, and the proper
script is executed. Using this technique, support for other BBS
software can be added.





Jean Heroux
8030 Saguenay
Brossard, PQ
Canada J4X 1H7

EasyPlex: 73257,2074

89-09-16