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      FXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFXFX
      
                                    by 
                          Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc.             
                 Copyright Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc., 1993
       
                            Author Seth Hamilton
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        Copyright Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc., 1993    Page I 
       
     
       The contents of this manual, the RoboBOARD/FX software, the Tel-FX 
       Draw software,  the  Tel-FX Terminal  software, the  Tel-FX  Photo 
       software  and  all  associated documentation  included  with  this 
       package  are  the  property  of  Hamilton  TeleGraphics Inc.   Any 
       reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
    
       RoboBOARD and Tel-FX are trademarks of  Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc. 
       FXdraw,  RoboFX,  FXterm,  and FXphoto  are trademarks of Hamilton
       TeleGraphics Inc.
     
       Trademarks, registered or otherwise used in this manual are: 
    
       Microsoft,   SmartDrive,   MS-DOS,   MS,   OS/2  and  Windows  are 
       trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM and VGA are trademarks of 
       International  Business  Machines  Corporation.    CorelDRAW  is a 
       trademark of  Corel Corporation.   Harvard Graphics is a trademark 
       of  Software Publishing Corporation.   ATI is a  trademark of  ATI 
       Technologies  Inc..   DigiBoard  is  a  trademark   of  DigiBoard.  
       Paradise is a trademark of  Paradise Systems Inc.   Video Seven is
       a trademark of Video Seven Inc.  QEMM, and DESQview are trademarks 
       of Quaterdeck Office Systems, Inc.   Hayes is a trademark of Hayes
       Microcomputer Products Inc.   CompuServe and GIF are trademarks of
       CompuServe Incorporated.   Sound Blaster is a registered trademark 
       of Creative Labs, Inc.
       
       Trident, Tseng, Hyperdisk, Imail, Fmail, Gecho,  are trademarks of 
       their appropriate owners. 
    
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        Table of Contents   Page II 
       
     
       Introduction ................................................... 1
       Hardware Requirements .......................................... 2
       Getting Started ................................................ 5
       Getting Help ................................................... 5 
       Overview of RoboBOARD/FX ....................................... 6 
       General ........................................................ 6 
       Security ....................................................... 8 
       Bullitens ..................................................... 11 
       Messaging and Echo Mail ....................................... 12 
       Files ......................................................... 14 
       Menus ......................................................... 15 
       The Main Menu ................................................. 16 
       Forums ........................................................ 16
       Doors ......................................................... 17 
       Chat .......................................................... 17 
       JPEGs ......................................................... 18 
       Templates ..................................................... 19 
       RoboCFG ....................................................... 20 
       Introduction to RoboCFG ....................................... 20 
       Lets Get Started .............................................. 21 
       The Exit Menu ................................................. 21 
       The System Menu ............................................... 22 
       System Info ................................................... 22 
       Global Info ................................................... 22 
       The User Menu ................................................. 24 
       New User Profile .............................................. 25 
       Access Profiles ............................................... 26 
       User Editor ................................................... 28 
       Call Back Verifier ............................................ 32 
       The Messages Menu ............................................. 33 
       Forums ........................................................ 33 
       Message Areas ................................................. 34 
       The Files Menu ................................................ 36 
       Forums ........................................................ 36 
       File Areas .................................................... 36 
       The Display Menu .............................................. 39
       Drawing Editor ................................................ 39
       Menu Editor ................................................... 39
       List of Menu Commands ......................................... 41
       Bullitens Menu ................................................ 46
       The Languages Menu ............................................ 48
       The Nodes Menu ................................................ 49
       Modem Configurations .......................................... 49
       Events ........................................................ 50
       FXdraw ........................................................ 52
       An Overview of FXdraw ......................................... 52
       The FXdraw Drawing Environment ................................ 56
       Drawing With Fxdraw ........................................... 60
       The Icon Editor ............................................... 69
       Creating Menus ................................................ 72
       Editing ....................................................... 75
       FXterm ........................................................ 80
       MultiLanguage BBSs ............................................ 81 
       Ŀ
        Table of Contents   Page III 
       
       
       Appendices .................................................... 84  
       ASCII Character Sets .......................................... 85
       Menu Tree ..................................................... 86
       File Types .................................................... 86
       Inline Text Tokens ............................................ 88
       System Screens................................................. 90
       Templates ..................................................... 91
       Multinode Operation & Optimization ............................ 96
       ROBOFX.EXE Command Line Options .............................. 103
       ROBOFX.EXE Errorlevel Exits .................................. 104
       Trouble Shooting ............................................. 104
       Hardware Notes ............................................... 106
       Glossary of Online Terms ..................................... 107
       
       
       
       
       
       
     
     
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       




        
       Ŀ
        Introduction   Page 1 
       
       
       Welcome to RoboBOARD/FX by Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc.. 
       
       RoboBOARD/FX has grown from the shareware experience of ROBO-BOARD
       Pro and Plus,  into a  Bulletin Board System  loaded with features 
       and innovations.   When Seth Hamilton introduced the original ROBO
       BOARD series, it sent shock waves through the BBS community. A BBS 
       completely  graphical,  faster  than  ANSI  systems,  with  icons, 
       pictures and menus  sent in real time?   Was  this possible,  with 
       every system original, and in DOS too?  ROBO-BOARDs true Graphical 
       User Interface  certainly was a shock,  especially at a time  when 
       many ANSI system developers  were bragging about colourizing their 
       text screens.   We proudly continue the tradition of innovation in 
       the BBS community by announcing RoboBOARD/FX, our third generation
       of Graphical BBS software.
    
       When  we  set  out  to  create  RoboBOARD/FX  we  studied existing 
       graphical protocols  and  found they did not match our vision of a 
       GUI based BBS package.  These other protocols were either designed 
       to port  text based BBSs  to graphics or they were lacking in user 
       interface.   RoboBOARD/FX is based on the  lightning  fast  Tel-FX 
       protocol developed  by us  specifically for this project.   Having 
       gained previous experience in protocol development we were able to 
       build on our knowledge and create a protocol that is both powerful
       today and designed for the future.
    
       We wrote new OOPs based code for RoboBOARD/FX, in fact 100% of the
       code is new.   OOPs code  gave  us  the  power  to  create  Online 
       Software similar in  look and feel to  windowed software  seen  in 
       modern operating systems.   RoboBOARD/FX boasts a familiar looking 
       GUI  for DOS,  complete with dragging windows,  clicking  buttons, 
       scroller bars,  pop up dialogue boxes and templates.   In this GUI 
       environment  RoboBOARD/FX supports  graphics modes  of up to  1024 
       x 768  in  16/256  SVGA colour.   Photographic imaging  is  not an
       expensive add on  that costs you or your users  more  money,  it's 
       built right into the RoboBOARD/FX system!    We can't think of one 
       category of BBS that will not benefit from this feature. It can be 
       used  for  GIF  previewing,   introductions  between  individuals, 
       marketing, education, newspapers just to mention a few ideas.
       
       Everyone will appreciate our message editor which takes any of the
       inconvenience out of messaging  by letting a user  print messages, 
       upload preprepared messages and quote or  write messages using the 
       power of  a built in word processor.   RoboBOARD/FX  has  a  files 
       database  that is  so  fast  a  ten thousand file search  is  near 
       instantaneous  under  normal conditions,  whether the files are on 
       CD-Roms or not.   We  have  included  powerful,  wildcard and date 
       based searches  complete with keywords  highlighting.   Even  your 
       least experienced BBS callers will have no trouble mastering batch 
       uploads and downloads with our point and queue interface.
       
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        Introduction Con't  Page 2 
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  was designed  in part for your  BBS callers  without 
       whom there would be no BBSs.   With  every package  we include  an 
       elegant terminal package that is powerful yet light weight.  There 
       aren't menus dropping out of menus and  Ctrl-Alt key combinations, 
       just a clean interface a novice can understand and a seasoned user 
       will appreciate.   It has been brought to our attention that users 
       want  to  get  involved  in  drawing screens  for their  favourite
       RoboBOARDs and for that  reason we are allowing you to  distribute 
       FXdraw, our polygon based  256 colour  drawing and design package.  
       It comes complete with splines, three point arcs, fly out side bar 
       menus, an  icon  editor,  and  edit  mode  just  to  mention a few 
       features.  There is one little catch. You must agree to the Tel-FX 
       Terminal  and the  Tel-FX Draw licence agreement found in the back 
       of these DOCs.   This is no big deal,  the licence agreement  just 
       protects our trademarks and ownership,  and defines your rights as 
       SysOp.
       
       Realtime graphics  for the  online community  have always been our 
       goal and  RoboBOARD/FX  stays  right  on  track.   Our  real  time 
       photographic images, icons, menus,  and templates are testimonials 
       to that.   When we refer to  real time we mean the images are sent 
       by  the  BBS  to the terminal  when the  user needs them.  With  a 
       RoboBOARD  system users  DO NOT  have to download icons and photos 
       before  they begin an online session,  every time  they log onto a 
       different  BBS or every time you make additions or changes to your 
       BBS.  We realize that users expect realtime graphics  and will not 
       tolerate less for long.
       
       If you are running a commercial BBS,  a support system,  a special 
       interest group(SIG), or a hobby board,  RoboBOARDs Realtime Online 
       Graphics will make  your system  more accessible and more friendly 
       to  more  users.   Thank you  for choosing  RoboBOARD/FX  as  your 
       Bulletin Board System.
       
       Ŀ
        Hardware Requirements  
       
       
       As with all graphical products RoboBOARD/FX has fairly high system
       expectations.  Not only does  RoboBOARD/FX  manage a  BBS  it also 
       manages the graphics traffic  for each node as well.   No need  to 
       worry, we have done a good job in our  software design  to keep it 
       fast  and  efficient.   These system demands are very standard for 
       GUI  based software so you  probably already  have the hardware to 
       make RoboBOARD/FX perform.
       
       To use RoboBOARD/FX, you need an IBM computer or a 100% compatible
       Clone.   A minimum of a 386SX is required.  A 486 based CPU is the 
       preferred recommendation.  
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  requires  that you  have a  Microsoft  or  Microsoft 
       compatible mouse.  The mouse is necessary,  in order  to click  on 
       buttons and navigate your system. 
       
        
       Ŀ
        Hardware Requirements Con't  Page 3 
       
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX requires a 16 colour VGA or 256 colour SVGA  graphics
       adapter and appropriate monitor.   We have direct support for ATI, 
       Paradise,  Trident,  Tseng  3000/4000  and  Video  Seven  graphics 
       adapters.   If you do not have one of the these  graphics adapters 
       you can use a VESA adapter almost certainly supplied with your VGA 
       adapter.   VESA  drivers  are  TSR  (terminate and stay  resident) 
       software  programs  that are  loaded  into memory  before you  run 
       RoboBOARD/FX.   Check the documentation  that  came with your  VGA
       adapter for information  on loading your VESA driver.  Some  newer 
       cards have  VESA built right into them.   We support four graphics 
       modes  at  this time,  640x480/16,  640x480/256,  800x600/256  and 
       1024x768/256.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  can be run as a  single node system  or a  multinode 
       system in either  graphics  or  text mode.   More  information  is 
       available in the Appendixe on Configuation. 
       
       CD-ROM BBS  operators  will require an additional  12 Megs of free 
       Hard drive space for a single node  since users can mark up to  10 
       files for download  which must be  paged temporarily  to the  Hard 
       drive before downloading. Multinode systems will have to determine 
       there own minimum requirements.
       
       As a single line  or one node system  you will require  a  minimum 
       of 2 Megs of free Hard drive space for temporary file swapping and 
       approximately 450 Kilobytes of RAM (random access memory).
       
       If you are running RoboBOARD/FX  as a multinode system  we support 
       using LANs or DesqVIEW.   In a  LAN situation  you will be able to 
       display  SVGA graphics on every station  in your network providing 
       you have the  appropriate  hardware.   The system requirements for 
       each node  are the same as with a single line system.   If you are 
       using  DesqVIEW to multitask your BBS  you  will  not be  able  to 
       display graphics  on your system unless you  logon to your BBS  in 
       Local  Mode.  While Using  DesqVIEW you will be placed in Text Log
       Mode,  which lets you  follow the activity of your users  on  your 
       system  as  well  as  chat with them.   This  is  necessary  using 
       DesqVIEW  because  it  does  not   multitask  multiple   graphical 
       applications  with the speed we require.   Under DesqVIEW you will 
       require  450k per node  plus the memory  that DESQview requires to 
       reside in.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX supports three I/O modes, UART, Fossil and DigiBoard. 
       More information is available in the Appendix on configuring
       RoboBOARD/FX.
       
       DigiBoards are a super fast  multiport I/O device  that have their 
       own independent processor on board.  They are designed to off load 
       work  from your  computers CPU,  and have the  added advantage  of 
       managing up to  eight ports  through only one  DOS interrupt.  The 
       last time we checked  DigiBoard supported from two  to  thirty-two 
       communications ports per board. RoboBOARD/FX has been optimised to 
       work with DigiBoards supporting the XIDOS driver and DesqVIEW.
        
       Ŀ
        Hardware Requirements Con't  Page 4 
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX also supports  Fossils like X00 by Ray Gwinn and  BNU 
       by David Nugent.   Fossils are an  efficient software  device that 
       offers a  generic interface between  RoboBOARD/FX,  your  computer 
       and  your modem.   Fossils  allow  you  to  control  settings like 
       Transmit and Receive buffers, baud rates and Fifos (first in first 
       out buffers). They can be downloaded from many shareware BBSs, and 
       are probably available in your area.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  installs  ready to use the  standard UART (universal
       asynchronous  receiver  transmitter)   found  on  all  I/O  cards.  
       RoboBOARD/FX  sets up the  UART chip on your I/O card  for optimum 
       performance  and  essentially  does  away  with the need  to use a 
       Fossil.  It will even set up fifos for your 16550 UART if present. 
       
       There will be a  graphics  performance  improvement  if you have a 
       math coprocessor in your computer.  
       
       If you have a standard  16450 UART chip  it is  highly recommended 
       (almost required) that you use a 16550A UART chip.  The 16450 does 
       no data buffering,  so in 1986 it was replaced by the  16550A UART 
       to  accommodate  higher speed telecommunications.    For 14400 bps 
       SysOps and Users,  a 16550A UART may be required to eliminate your 
       computer missing characters.   A 16550A UART chip and  the support 
       chips are not normally an expensive option. 
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        Getting Started   Page 5 
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX comes with its own install program, and will make the
       necessary directories and subdirectories on your harddrive. Before 
       you install  RoboBOARD/FX  be sure the  following DOS settings are 
       set correctly in your CONFIG.SYS file.  From your 3 1/2 inch drive 
       simply type INSTALL and follow the instructions.
         
       FILES=30
       BUFFERS=25
       SHELL=COMMAND.COM /e:512 /p     
       
       * Multinode  systems and servers  should add an additional 15 file 
       handles per node.
       
       These are minimum values for FILES and BUFFERS so if your settings 
       are  set  higher  do  not  decrease  the settings.  SHELL does not 
       necessarily have to use COMMAND.COM if you use a different command 
       interpreter.     
       
       Just in case  you are like most people  who don't  read  the  DOCs 
       until they get stuck  RoboBOARD/FX  is run from a Batch file named 
       RUN-ROBO.BAT.   We chose  DOS Batch  files  to drive  RoboBOARD/FX 
       because  of the  flexibility  they provide.   Using Batch files, a 
       number of  batch commands and executables  can be chained together 
       with RoboBOARD/FX  creating  a  very flexible system.  One example 
       would be  screen rotators,  so that  users always see a  different
       screen every time they logon.
      
       Ŀ
        Getting Help  
       
       
       At Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc.  we are committed  to providing  the 
       best possible service to you the customer.  We have tried to cover 
       all  the bases  in  this manual  but  welcome  your  comments  and 
       suggestions, which will be considered in future publications.
       
       We have established some guide lines  for you to follow in getting 
       help if you have a problem.
       
       1)  Carefully check this manual,  the answer to your question  may  
       already be answered.
       
       2)  Logon to our RoboBOARD/FX World Headquarters Support BBS.   We 
       are an  Online company  and  we provide the  large majority of our 
       help online. We will be accumulating information regarding the use 
       of  RoboBOARD/FX  with  hardware and software  of  all  types.  We 
       welcome your contributions to our information database.  With time 
       there will be files available for download on most support related 
       topics.  If you cannot find  a file  that a nswers  your questions 
       please leave a message addressed to us in Support,  detailing your
       question or problem  as clearly as possible.   We will leave you a 
       message on  our system and  an answer to your question  as soon as 
       possible.  This  service  is  also  available  to people  who  are 
       evaluating our Test Drive version.
        
       Ŀ
        Getting Started   Page 6 
       
       
        RoboBOARD/FX HQ Support BBS  1-819-682-7771
            
       3) If you have a Fax that is capable of  receiving faxes,  you can 
       fax us your questions at  1-819-685-0994  and  we will return your 
       answer by Fax.  Please include your name and serial number. 
      
       4) If you are  stumped  you can call us at  1-819-682-6670 and ask 
       for support. 
       Please have your serial number ready. 
       
       Ŀ
        Overview of RoboBOARD/FX - General  
       
      
       Bulletin Board Systems  have gained popularity  in recent years as 
       individuals  and  businesses   alike   begin  to   understand  the 
       flexibility and possibilities of Online Software.   New high speed 
       Modems  and  hardware  have  also  played an important part in the 
       diversification of Online Software.   In the past  Online Software 
       has been built around security, messaging, and file areas.   Today
       Graphical  Telecommunications  Software   like   RoboBOARD/FX   is 
       unfolding  new  possibilities  and  opportunities  for the  Online 
       Community.   More users than ever before own modems  and with well 
       designed GUIs,  like the  RoboBOARD/FX  point and shoot interface, 
       even first time callers can be comfortable on your BBS.   This new 
       generation   of   modems  and  computers   along  with  a  broader 
       understanding    of    realtime    compression/decompression   and 
       photographic  imaging  technologies  has  created  an  environment 
       perfect for the success of RoboBOARD/FX and your Online endeavors. 
       
       The  emphasis  throughout  the  RoboBOARD/FX  system  is  a  clean 
       friendly interface,  with all the power SysOps have come to expect 
       of ANSI systems,  plus more.   As  you  try  out the  RoboBOARD/FX 
       features you will see an interface so familiar  in its design that 
       there  is  virtually  no  learning  curve,  however  just  because 
       RoboBOARD/FX  s a  graphical BBS  does not mean that it is lacking 
       in nongraphical features.  To the contrary it has all the expected
       features, plus a degree of flexibility and extensibility not found 
       in other BBS software.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX will run exactly the way it installs from your floppy 
       drive  however it is  one hundred percent configurable.   We  have 
       configured RoboBOARD/FX to our liking and set security levels that 
       are very general in their purpose.   Depending on your needs,  you 
       may want to change the security settings before allowing any users 
       to logon. 
       
       Configuration is done using RoboCFG,  our  mouse driven,  windowed 
       and  templated  configuration  program.   SysOps  who  use RoboCFG 
       extensively will appreciate how  quick and easy it is to  navigate 
       with its Pull down menus and pop up templates.   Using RoboCFG you 
       can, access FXdraw to create graphics and menus,  manage security, 
       edit users, define Forums, and set up message and file areas.
       
        
       Ŀ
        General   Page 7 
       
       
       Much  of   RoboBOARD/FXs  menu  and  language  configurability  is 
       accomplished using FXdraw.   As with the supplied menus, FXdraw is 
       used to  create menus  and define menu buttons.   FXdraw  is  also 
       used to draw original art and merge photographic JPEG images, into 
       screens  and  bulletins.    All  the  graphics  screens  found  in 
       RoboBOARD/FX were drawn in FXdraw including the icons.   When  you 
       create a menu in  FXdraw  you are asked to define a letter  of the 
       alphabet for each button you draw.   RoboCFG uses this key  letter 
       of the  alphabet  to  attach  Menu Commands  like  Page SysOp  and 
       Goodbye to the menus. When a button is pressed or a key is pressed 
       on the Terminal end the Alphabet Key is returned to the BBS,  thus 
       executing the  appropriate  Menu Command.   There are around forty 
       Menu Commands that can be assigned to buttons using RoboCFG.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  like most other  BBS software is built around bullet 
       proof security.   Configured  correctly,  RoboBOARD/FX  provides a 
       very high degree  of  security  using  1000 access levels  and  26 
       Alphabetical Tags.   All  Menu Commands are given an access level, 
       and Tags can be assigned to them also.  To access a menu command a 
       users access level  must be greater than  or equal to  the  access 
       assigned to the menu command.   The  users  access Tags  must also
       match the access Tags assigned to the button.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  also  allows  SysOps  to  define  up  to  999 Forums 
       numbered from 1 to 999.   A reminder window is provided in RoboCFG 
       so that Forum Names  can be attached to Forum Numbers,  which is a 
       very  nice  touch  when you are  managing  more  than  five or ten 
       Forums.  Forums are used to separate groups of users on a BBS thus 
       limiting or grouping their access to File areas, Message bases and 
       Bulletins.  If a user  does not  have access  to a Forum they will 
       not know those File Areas,  Message Bases and  Bulletins have been
       defined for that Forum.  Certain Menu Commands for File, Messaging 
       and Bulletins require that a  Forum number be assigned to the Menu 
       Interface Button.   When a user with  sufficient access  clicks on 
       the  Menu  Interface  Button  they will gain access to message and 
       file areas defined for that Forum Number. 
       
       RoboBOARD/FX is designed to run in a  multinode environment either 
       across a  Local Area Network  or by using  multiport I/O cards and 
       DesqVIEW. RoboBOARD/FX can also be configured to use a combination 
       of LAN hardware, multi I/O cards and DesqVIEW.   This level of BBS 
       system  design  requires   special  considerations   and  a   good 
       understanding of the hardware and software required. 
       
       This  section  of  the  manual  is  intended  as  a  discussion of 
       RoboBOARD/FX  and  its  features.   It  is  also  intended  as  an 
       introduction to configuration covered in Section 2.  We will cover 
       topics like Bulletins, Messaging, Files, Menus,  Forums, JPEGs and 
       Templates.
       
       



        
       Ŀ
        Security   Page 8 
       

       Probably the most powerful and important underlying feature of any 
       BBS package is security.   With it you can control what your users 
       do or see on your system.   Maybe you are running a private system 
       that does not allow new members, if so you can control whether new 
       users can even logon  to your system.   Once users have logged  on 
       you can control what  Main Menu a user sees based on their access.  
       You can create Forums that separate message bases,  file areas and 
       bulletins  for  different groups  that  share  your system.  Every 
       aspect of RoboBOARD/FX is affected by security.  
       
       Usually  this  chapter  is  stuck in the back  of  most  technical 
       reference manuals, but we decided that the front of the manual was 
       a better idea.  By reading about security now, you will understand 
       how  the  rest of the concepts  fit together  in this manual.  The 
       trick  with  security  is  to   keep  it  simple  to  use  without 
       sacrificing  power.   Most  BBS  systems  don't  require a complex 
       security  structure,  but for those who do,  we have  a completely 
       powerful set of tools.  RoboBOARD/FX  has two  different layers of 
       security;  the  standard access levels  ranging from 0 to 999  and 
       alphabetical Tags from 'A' to 'Z'. 
       
       With RoboBOARD/FX it is possible to completely customize your BBS. 
       FXdraw  is used  to visually design menus and  RoboCFG  is used to 
       configure  menus  plus add security  to them.   The basics are: 1) 
       FXdraw  is  used  to  create  menus  by  drawing  backgrounds  and 
       assembling graphics. 2)  Buttons are added to the menus.  3) Icons 
       are placed on the buttons.  4) The buttons are labelled with words 
       like 'N'ext and 'Q'uit.   Whenever you draw a button  using FXdraw
       you are asked  to assign a letter of the alphabet  to that button, 
       like 'N' for next and 'Q' for quit.  These letters of the alphabet 
       are what FXterm sends back to the  BBS when a remote user wants to 
       activate a Menu Command.   There are over thirty  Menu Commands in 
       RoboBOARD/FX  which can be used  to create custom menus.  They are 
       found in  RoboCFG  under the Display Pulldown  in the  menu titled 
       Menu  Editor.  Menu  Commands  are assigned to the buttons or keys 
       that were defined in FXdraw, using RoboCFG.   Security is assigned 
       at the same time that you are assigning menu commands to a button.  
       
       Now that you  know the basics  of how  a menu is created  and  how 
       access security is attached to a menu button, the question is; how 
       does menu security relate to users?   As we mentioned  in the last 
       paragraph,  security and menu commands  are assigned to buttons at 
       the  same  time.   Now  our  menu buttons  have  a  security level 
       assigned  to  them,  each  defined  by  an access level and access 
       tag(s).   When a new user logs on to your system you will probably 
       give them a  starting access,  and as you get to know them better, 
       possibly you will increase their access.   To give  a user  access 
       settings  you will use  one of 1000 User Access Profiles.   Access 
       Profiles  are a convenient way  of managing  user access settings,  
       you can even attach names  to the categories  that Access Profiles 
       represent,  like  'New User' or  'Verified User'.   In order for a 
       user to access the  menu command  behind a button  they must first 
       have an access level  that is equal to or greater than  the access 
       level of the button.   Secondly  the user  must  also match access 
        
       Ŀ
        Security Con't   Page 9 
       

       Tag(s)  with the  button exactly  to access the  menu command.  It 
       should  be pointed out  that using both  Access Levels  and Access 
       Tags for each button is not required.  If you are more comfortable 
       with one system over  the other security can be well managed using 
       only that system. 
       
       RoboBOARD has additional security features that are accessed using
       RoboCFG.  They  control  many things  like,  exactly how much time 
       users spend on your system  each day  or how many files  they  can 
       download per day.   These security features  will be explained  in 
       the section of the manual called RoboCFG.
       
       Ŀ Access Level  is considered to be the  first layer
       Access Levels of security and it provides the  basic ranking and 
        permission privileges for your users. RoboBOARD/FX  
       comes configured with the following  Access Levels defined.  These 
       settings can be changed,  they are only the settings  we chose for 
       our basic configuration:
       
       999 - SysOp Access:  is always the  highest access level set on  a 
       system  and  gives  you  a  very high  daily time limit  plus  the 
       ability  to  access  any menu commands  you want  on your  system.  
       This is providing that you also  meet the second level of security   
       which are the access tags.
       
       5 - Verified User:  This user is given  a longer  daily time limit 
       than the unverified user, and is given full access to navigate the 
       default menu system.
       
       4 - Unverified User:  This user doesn't get any further  than  the 
       main menu  and only has access  to the  'Leave  Comment  to SysOp' 
       command and the 'Logoff' command.
       
       0 - Locked Out User:  This user  just doesn't  get on your system.  
       They probably did something to annoy you,  and you  dropped  their 
       access level to 0, locking them out of your system.
       
       Everything RoboBOARD/FX does is defined by the menus you create or 
       in this case the menus that were supplied.   Each menu command has 
       two fields, the first pertaining to access level and the second to 
       access tags.   Most commands on the default RoboBOARD/FX menus are 
       set at access  level 5 (Verified User),  others  like  LOGOFF  and 
       COMMENT have been set at level 4 (Unverified User).
       
       " As an example,  lets say a Sam User logs on to your system.  You 
       know  Sam  is a  valid person,  so  you give  Sam  access  level 5 
       (Verified User).  Sam wants to talk to you  and compliment  you on 
       your excellent system so Sam uses the Page Sysop Command which has 
       been configured to access level 4 (Unverified User).  RoboBOARD/FX 
       checks to see if Sam has an  Access Level greater than or equal to 
       that of the Comment commands access level.  If  Sam  can pass this
       test then  RoboBOARD/FX  proceeds to the second layer of security, 
       the Access Tags. "
       
        
       Ŀ
        Security Con't   Page 10 
       
       
       Ŀ The second layer of access control used by RoboBOARD
       Access Tags are  the  Access  Tags.     After  RoboBOARD/FX  has  
        confirmed  that  the  user  has cleared security  on 
       Layer 1,  it will proceed with the Access Tags test.   Access tags  
       allow you  to fine tune  your access,  or add detail to it.   Tags 
       allow you  to filter users  that would  normally pass  the layer 1 
       access level test for a particular feature.   They also  allow you 
       to separate or group users having the same access level.
       
       Access tags are simply  letters of the alphabet  from 'A' and 'Z'.  
       Each menu command has an option for  Access Tags,  as  does  every 
       User.  A menu command may have multiple  Tags defined and  if this 
       is the case a user must have at least  those specific tags  set to 
       access the menu command.   If RoboBOARD/FX  finds that a user  has 
       more tags set then required it does not care.
       
       Back to Sam. " As SysOp you have decided that not all users should 
       be able to Page you.   So you have decided to use the "P"  tag  on 
       your Main Menus PAGE COMMAND as a page filter.  You have found Sam 
       to be great at conversation so you have given Sam a "P" Tag.  When 
       RoboBOARD/FX  processes  and passes  Sam  on the Layer 1 test,  it 
       proceeds to Layer 2.  RoboBOARD/FX finds that Sam has all the Tags 
       that the PAGE COMMAND has.  In our example both Access Layers have 
       passed and Sam gets to Page You.
       
       Ŀ
       The Access Process
       
      
       1) A Menu Command has been requested.
       
       2) The Menu Command has an ACCESS LEVEL of 4.
       
       3) The current users ACCESS LEVEL is 5.
       
       4) If "USER ACCESS" >= "COMMAND ACCESS" then LAYER 1 of the access 
          check has been passed.
       
       5) If LAYER 1 has passed then check the Tags.
       
       6) The Menu Commands Tag is "P".
       
       7) The current users Tag is "P".
       
       8) If the Menu Command Tags are ALL found in the USERs Tags then 
          LAYER 2 of the access check has passed.
       
       9) If both Layer 1 and Layer 2 security have been passed then the 
          user  has access to the  Menu Command  (ie: message base, file 
          area, bulletins).
       



        
       Ŀ
        Security Con't   Page 11 
       
       Ŀ
       Examples    ACCESS     TAGS         RESULT 
       
         USER          4        NONE
         COMMAND       4        NONE         ACCESS GRANTED
       
         USER          4        NONE
         COMMAND       5        NONE         ACCESS FAILED ON LAYER 1
       
         USER          5        NONE
         COMMAND       4        A            ACCESS FAILED ON LAYER 2
       
         USER          99       ABCZ
         COMMAND       1        A            ACCESS GRANTED
       
         USER          1        A
         COMMAND       99       A            ACCESS FAILED ON LAYER 1
       
         USER          999      ABCJLQSUVZ
         COMMAND       999      AJQS         ACCESS GRANTED

       Ŀ
        Bulletins  
       
       
       The two level Bulletin System used by  RoboBOARD/FX  adds  a  high 
       level of flexibility to your BBS design.   We provide the standard 
       Welcome and News screens  that are displayed  to a user  at logon.  
       Valid graphical formats are Tel-FX graphics,  colour ANSI or  mono 
       ANSI/ASCII  screens.    We  also  provide  a   Menu  Commands  for 
       Bulletins,  which  if  included  on  a  menu will provide  an easy 
       interface into your bulletins.  Bulletins displayed in this window 
       can  be  Tel-FX  graphics,  colour  ANSI,  mono ANSI or ASCII text 
       files.  They are displayed in order  from newest to oldest so that 
       frequent callers  do not have to scroll to the bottom  of the list 
       every time they call to see what new Bulletins have been added.
       
       Upon  Logon users  can automatically view up to  3 Welcome screens 
       and  3 News screens.   These are  graphics screens  created  using 
       FXdraw,  so  simply  name them  or  save  them as  WELCOME1.TFX...
       WELCOME3.TFX and NEWS1.TFX...NEWS3.TFX.   RoboBOARD  will  look in 
       the  GRAPHICS  (language dependant)  directory and display them in 
       the  correct  sequence  if they  exist.   Welcome screens and News 
       screens can not be ASCII text files rather they must be created in 
       FXdraw or an ANSI drawing package.  If a Continue, button is drawn 
       on the graphic the user will be able to view the screen until they 
       click the  Continue button  or until  RoboBOARD/FX times them out. 
       ANSI/ASCII screens  always wait for user response.  It  should  be 
       noted that RoboBOARD/FX  does not care if you include a  button on 
       your  graphical  Bulletins.   If you  do not include a button  the 
       Bulletin  will be displayed  for five seconds.  If you  include  a 
       button or any number of buttons on a  Bulletin screen RoboBOARD/FX 
       does  not  care  what  that button  is Named  or what Key has been 
       assigned to it,  any button click is interpreted  as a command  to 
       close the window and continue.
        
       Ŀ
        Bulletins Con't   Page 12 
       
       
       If the user logs on in Colour ANSI Mode, RoboBOARD/FX will look in 
       the GRAPHICS (language dependant)  directory for  WELCOME1.ANS ...
       WELCOME3.ANS and NEWS1.ANS ... NEWS3.ANS.   If the user logs on in
       Mono ANSI Mode,  RoboBOARD/FX will look in the  GRAPHICS (language
       dependant)   directory   for   WELCOME1.ASC ... WELCOME3.ASC   and  
       NEWS1.ASC ... NEWS3.ASC.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  provides two  types of  Direct Access  menu commands 
       that relate to Bulletins.  One allows you to display a graphic and 
       the  other allows you  to display a text file.   These  are rather 
       generic menu commands since they  have many other purposes besides 
       just Bulletins.   These types of Bulletins require that you supply 
       a  File Name,  so  that RoboBOARD/FX  can find  the  file  in  the 
       GRAPHICS  directory  for  the  current  language.   Direct  Access 
       Bulletins commands check access levels and access tags, but ignore 
       Forums.
       
       Another type of Bulletin menu command that  RoboBOARD/FX  supports 
       is Forum based.   Forums are used to separate groups of users on a 
       BBS thus limiting their access to certain Bulletins.   When a user 
       with sufficient access  chooses this type of Bulletin command from 
       a menu,  they will gain access to any Bulletins,  defined for that 
       Forum  Number.  If a user  does not  have access to  a  particular 
       Forum they will not know that Bulletins have been defined for that 
       Forum.
       
       Bulletins in RoboBOARD/FX may be either textual or graphical.  You 
       can add buttons  to your menus that will let users scroll  through 
       listings of the available Bulletins  on your system.   The list of 
       Bulletins are  presented to the user in a  Lister Window.  If  the 
       user picks a  graphic bulletin  it will be displayed in a graphics 
       window and if they pick a text bulletin it will be displayed  in a 
       text reader window.   The maximum length of a text Bulletin is 999 
       lines. In ANSI mode a text based equivalent interface is provided.
       
       Ŀ
        Messaging and Echo Mail  
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  uses  a  Hudson messaging system  which  is  a large 
       database  message/email  system.   You can have  up to  thirty-two 
       thousand messages spread over 200 Message Areas.  The message base 
       is   Fido  Echomail  compatible  and  supports  features  such  as 
       public/private, private or public only messages as well as handles 
       and read/write accesses.
       
       Messaging is a  very important part of most  BBS systems.  Much of 
       the communication between you and your Users,  and  between  other 
       Users  is  done  via  the  messaging system.   Messaging has to be 
       controllable  and  configurable  to  suit  the  needs of the  many 
       different types of BBSs.  RoboBOARD/FX gives you a powerful set of 
       tools to work with  in the form of Menu Commands.   When a message 
       area is defined it requires that you include security settings for 
       it and  also what Forum  has access  to it.   Messaging  is  based 
        
       Ŀ
        Messaging and Echo Mail Con't   Page 13 
       
       
       primarily  on  Forums  using Menu Commands  to access Forums.  The
       Message Bases,  Message Reader,  and  Message Writer  windows  are
       RoboBOARD/FX primary messaging functions  and  their interface can 
       not be changed.
       
       When a user picks a  Message Icon  they see  a window listing  the 
       Message  Bases  available  for  their  access  level  including  a 
       scroller to roll up and down through the list. When a user chooses 
       a Message Base or is directed to a Message Base by a Menu Command, 
       the  Message Reader  window pops up  and places them  at the  last 
       message they read.   RoboBOARD/FX uses a  natural numbering system 
       which  is  independent  of  the  messages  actual  offset into the 
       message base.   Along the bottom of the Message Reader window is a 
       line of icons to:  

       Write, a new message will pop up the  Message Writer window  which  
            lets  the user address and write the message using RoboBOARDs 
            word processor message editor.

       Reply,  to a message  first asks a user  if they want to quote the    
            message. If they choose yes quote tracking will be activated.
       
       Delete,  will let a user delete a  message only if it is addressed 
            to them or only if they wrote it.
       
       Upload, allows a user to upload a preprepared message.  We suggest 
            for appearance sake  that users keep the width of the message 
            text to about sixty-five characters.   The  message  must  be 
            written in a pure ASCII text editor.
       
       Download, allows a user to download a message to their hard drive.
       
       Print, allows a user to print a message to LPT1. 
       
       List,  pops up a  Message Lister window  which lets a user  scroll 
            through  the  messages  addressed  to  them.    Messages  are 
            normally grey in colour and personnel mail which has not been 
            read is highlighted in Yellow.
       
       Previous, takes the user to the last message read.
       
       Next, takes a user to the next available message in the list.
       
       Exit,  exits the Message Reader  window and returns a user  to the 
            calling menu.
      
       Users are given control over who reads their messages by using the
       Public/Private  radio  buttons  at the top of the  Message  Writer 
       window. Using RoboCFG you can control whether messages will remain 
       local to your system or  if they will be sent to other systems via 
       echo mail.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX supports echomail  that is based on  Fido  technology 
       like FidoNet and WorldNet.  FidoNet is a echomail system unique to 
        
       Ŀ
        Messaging and Echo Mail Con't   Page 14 
       

       the BBS community,  it was started in 1983 by Tom Jennings and has 
       since  grown  to  over  twenty-two thousand  nodes  or  member BBS 
       systems around the world today.   FidoNet is predominantly a hobby 
       net but being very accessible,  affordable and  extensible is used 
       to  backbone files,  send messages and  exchange  special interest 
       information and ideas on a broad variety of topics.
       
       Generally speaking  one  or  more systems  in a  local  area  will 
       act as a HUB through which  SysOps  send and receive mail  packets 
       and files.  Echomail is very topic specific  and  different topics 
       are called Echoes.   Message bases can be tagged as  Local or Echo 
       in RoboCFG.  When users reply to, or enter messages that are in an 
       Echo message base  the new mail replies  are packeted up  using  a 
       standalone packer/scanner  and sent to the  HUB  as a  mail packet
       (not included).  The  scanning  and  packeting  process can be run 
       manually or as a daily time event.  When the mail reaches  the HUB 
       it is repacked and sent towards its destination.
       
       Echomail requires  a  Fido compatible  Front End  that answers the 
       phone  for the  BBS and  manages mail for the system.  A Front End 
       determines  whether an  incoming call is from a 'human caller'  or 
       another echomail system.   If the caller is human  there call will 
       be directed to  RoboBOARD/FX and if the caller is another echomail 
       system the Front End will take over and manage the messages.
       
       In  the  world  of  Fido Technology Echomail:  1:125/111.0  is the 
       address of Fido Software.  ZONE1:NET125/NODE111.POINT0   Zone 1 is 
       North America and  Zone 2 is Europe.   For more information on how
       to get online with echomail talk to a  Fido Hub  that is  local to 
       you.  If you do not know who the HUBs are in your area ask a local 
       sysop who is doing Echomail.
       
       Ŀ
        Files  
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX uses a  super fast  Database file system,  which lets 
       you query a CD Rom platter as fast as your hard drive.   Files are 
       divided into file areas and  the only limit to the number of areas 
       you can have is your hard drive space. Access levels, alphabetical 
       access Tags and Forum number are assigned to every File Area which 
       creates a high level  of configurable security  and management for 
       you.   By  Using  Forums  you  can  completely  cut users off from
       specific  file  areas,  they  will  not  even  be aware  of  their 
       existence.  You can also give a specific group exclusive access to 
       a  file  area  which  is  great  if you have  a  diversified group 
       of users.
       
       RoboCFG provides  quick  and  powerful tools  that let  you  edit, 
       create  and  delete  file  areas.   RoboCFG  also lets  you  mark, 
       describe,  orphan, copy,  move and  delete individual files within 
       file  areas.  RoboCFG is a  point and shoot environment  that  has 
       pull down menus, pop up windows, scroller bars and templates. This 
       is a very quick file management system that will free up your time 
       for less tedious tasks.  
       Ŀ
        Files Con't    Page 15 
       

       RoboBOARD/FX  will read your existing  FILES.BBS  structure or the 
       one  off your  CD-ROM  directly  into its  database.   For  normal 
       listings  RoboBOARD/FX displays a one line short description,  but 
       it  also  supports  extended  descriptions  for  files.   Complete 
       statistics are also kept,  for example, who uploaded the file, the 
       upload date, and how many times the file has been downloaded.
     
       Ŀ
        Menus  
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  provides you  with the ability  to give your users a 
       state of the art 256 colour SVGA windowed interface.  You also can 
       support users  who  do not have  VGA or who do not have  a  Tel-FX 
       terminal,  with standard colour ANSI or mono ANSI.   To accomplish 
       this degree of support you are required to have two sets of menus.  
       When  considering the  extra work involved  in a  multilevel  menu 
       system verses a strictly  ANSI system, it is important to remember 
       that  Tel-FX  graphics  do  provide  an  incredibly  friendly  GUI 
       interface  and  that  graphics  open up  opportunities  in  online 
       communications  tha t an ANSI system  could  never provide.   This 
       chapter is designed to give you an overview of menuing.
       
       
       Tel-FX Graphics files that have  BLB and IDX extensions  are in an 
       optimised  compiled  format.    Colour  ANSI  files  have  an  ANS 
       extension and mono ANSI screens have an ASC extension.  To provide 
       graphics,  colour ANSI  and  mono ANSI support  RoboBOARD/FX  will 
       expect to find three different file types  all having  exactly the 
       same name but different extensions.  
       
       ANSI support is an option and RoboBOARD/FX  will work just fine if 
       you  choose to run a  graphics only BBS.   In RoboCFG you have the 
       option,  under the Nodes menu to determine  what level of graphics 
       support each node  will  provide.   Your choices  are Tel-FX only, 
       ANSI only, or Tel-FX and ANSI. 
       
       If you have configured a node to support both  Graphics and  ANSI, 
       you  are  given the option  to determine  what  level  of graphics 
       support you want to provide  on a per menu screen basis  using the 
       Menu Editor  found  in  RoboCFG.  If you choose the  Graphics only 
       option you  probably have created  only a graphics menu  for  this 
       command  and  likewise  if you choose  the ANSI only  option,  you 
       probably have created only an ANSI screen.   If you are supporting
       ANSI  you will  need to create both a colour  and mono version  of 
       each screen.   RoboBOARD/FX  does  not  include  an  ANSI  drawing 
       package so you may want to use one of the excellent shareware ANSI 
       drawing packages.  Creating a mono ANSI screen is usually not much 
       of a  problem since most ANSI  drawing packages have the option to 
       store an  ANSI drawing or screen  in both mono and colour formats.  
       Note that if a graphics,  colour ANSI or  mono ANSI screen  is not 
       found  where  expected,   RoboBOARD/FX  ignores  the  request  and 
       displays nothing to the user.
       
        
       Ŀ
        Menus Con't   Page 16 
       
       
       The reason that RoboBOARD/FX  can easily provide both VGA Graphics 
       and ANSI in the same BBS package  is due in part  to the way  that 
       menus are communicated with.   As you may have noticed while using 
       FXdraw, whenever you draw a button on the screen you are requested 
       to  attach a  Letter of the alphabet  to the button.   When a user 
       clicks on a menu button on their terminal end  the Letter for that 
       button is sent to your Host end.   When RoboBOARD/FX receives  the 
       Letter it executes the Menu Command attached to that Letter.  This 
       allows you to give buttons  Letters that have meaning like 'Q' for 
       Quit and 'N' for Next.   This Letter also gives you  a common link
       between your  SVGA Graphics screens  and your ANSI screens.  It is 
       very important to remember that the same Letter must have the same 
       meaning on each Graphic Mode Screen.
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX lets  you control  the look and feel  of  your BBS by 
       giving you  a simple set of tools  to  create custom menus.   Menu 
       screens and buttons are drawn using  FXdraw and Menu Commands  are 
       attached to buttons using the Menu Editor found in RoboCFG.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  gives you access  to more then  thirty Menu Commands 
       that allow users to perform an array  of useful functions like log 
       off, change their personal info,  fill in templates,  go  to other 
       menus, page SysOp, access files,  do messaging, read memos,  enter 
       Doors, etc.   When a button is clicked  the menu command  that  is 
       attached to that button (letter of the alphabet) is executed.   To 
       attach Menu Commands  to a Button using RoboCFG  you simply scroll 
       through the list of available  Commands and select the command you
       want  to attach  to a button.  In the same template   you can  set 
       graphics mode,  access levels and access tags for the  button/menu 
       command.
       
       Ŀ In RoboBOARD/FX the first menu that is loaded will 
       The Main Menu always have the name  MAIN.  This is the base menu
        from which  all other menus branch.  This does not  
       mean that  MAIN will be the first screen a user ever sees,  but it 
       will be the first menu a user sees.   It is possible for different 
       users having different access levels  to see different MAIN menus.  
       This is accomplished using different screens.  It is important  to 
       note that if no file is found  with the name MAIN your system will 
       halt with an error message and drop carrier on the user.    
       
       Ŀ
        Forums  
       
       
       RoboBOARD allows you  to configure up to  999 numerically  denoted
       Forums.   Setting up a BBS to have Forums is not required in order 
       to run  a  successful  BBS,  however  it  does  provide  one  very 
       interesting option.  Forums allow you to setup your system in such 
       a manner  that  users  never  see  File Areas,   Message Bases  or 
       Bulletins  unless you give them access  to that Forum number.  The 
       Forum system is very useful  if you have confidential data on your 
       system,  you have groups of individuals  with different interests, 
        
       Ŀ
        Forums Con't   Page 17 
       
       
       or you are running a pay board.   Forums numbers only work on File 
       Areas, Message Bases and Bulletins.  You are required to provide a 
       Forum number when using Menu Commands that are file,  message  and 
       bulletins related. RoboBOARD/FX always requires at least one Forum 
       defined,  and it comes with  Forum one (1)  configured.  Forum one 
       (1) is assigned to General Mail,  the default message base and New 
       Files, the default file area.
       
       To make  managing  Forums  easier  RoboCFG  gives  you  a  special 
       template found on both the Files and Messages pulldown menu.  This 
       template acts as a memo pad and allows you to attach names to each 
       Forum  number.   The names play  no role  in the configuration  of 
       RoboBOARD/FX except to act as a reminder to you.
       
       Menus can be made to look very Forumed  by creating a Main or Main 
       Forums menu  that  provides  buttons  to branch  to  another  menu 
       (specific Forum).   The user will  now be in a  Forum  even though 
       they reached that menu using normal security checks. At this point 
       users  can  click  on Message,  File  and  Bulletin  buttons  that 
       activate Forum checks providing  that they have  sufficient access
       and the correct access Tags to clear security for that button.  
       
       Ŀ
        Doors  
       
       
       DOORs are standalone software programs that are written to be used 
       with BBS software.   They cover a wide range  of uses,  everything 
       from databases to games.   The name DOOR comes from the analogy of 
       stepping through a door into another room,  or leaving the BBS and 
       passing into  a  different area  of the system.   Most  DOORs  are 
       written using ANSI and run well with RoboBOARD/FX.   DOORs are run 
       in  a  shell  and handle  their own I/O.  
       
       Ŀ
        Chat  
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX supports  multinode chat  and  SysOp to User  private 
       Chat. Chat allows for live, online interaction between callers.  
       SysOp to User chat  is a  split screen  two way  conversation.  If 
       paging is turned on users can call the SysOp with an Audible page, 
       to engage in conversation.   If a user  is on the system  and  the 
       SysOp wants to talk to them,  they must comply,  they are given no 
       choice,  the split screen chat window  pops up  and only the SysOp 
       has the ability to close the window.
       
       Multiline or multinode chat  has become a very popular feature  of 
       BBS systems.  It has become so popular  that an entire language of 
       Emoticons  has  evolved.   Things like :) smile, :-):-):-) guffaw:  
       You've  got  the  picture!   In multinode chat  a  very large chat 
       window is opened  with a typing area  along  the bottom  for  each 
       node.  Each person in the conversation types in their comments and 
       they are added to the chat window with their Name.
        
       Ŀ
        JPEGs   Page 18 
       
       
       JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group.  The JPEG 
       group  was formed  and worked under the auspices  of  three  major 
       international  standards groups:   ISO (International Organization 
       for Standardization), CCITT (International Telegraph and Telephone 
       Consultative  Committee,     IEC  (International  Electrotechnical 
       Commission).  There are only two technologies  being used publicly 
       at this time  to send photographic quality images across telephone 
       lines.   Fractal Image Compression Hardware/Software  systems  and
       JPEG  software  solutions.   We  chose  JPEG Imaging over Fractals 
       mainly because much existing Fractal technology is either patented 
       or has patents pending.   We  did not  want  your  End Users,  the 
       people in the  Online community  to have to pay royalties  to view 
       photographic images using FXterm.  JPEG technology uses algorithms 
       that simplifies colour and images compressing them to a size which 
       can be sent over the telephone lines  using high speed modems in a 
       reasonable length of time  without a major loss  in image quality.  
       We feel that  JPEGs suit the needs  of  the Online community  very 
       well,  where  transfer time  is every bit  as important  as  image 
       quality.   GIF images  typically compress  to 5% to 35%  of  their 
       original size when using JPEG technology.
       
       Companies providing online services,  SysOps with marketing ideas, 
       special interest groups and BBSs that offer GIFs will benefit from 
       JPEG images.  RoboBOARD/FX  requires  that  images be converted to 
       JPEG format before  they are  sent  over the telephone line.   The 
       compressed image will be packeted  by RoboBOARD/FX and transferred 
       to the users end.  When the transfer is complete and the integrity 
       of the image verified the photographic image will  pop up  as part 
       of the window it was drawn in.
       
       JPEG  images  are  assembled  with  buttons,  and  normal  drawing 
       entities using FXdraw to form screens.   At this time  JPEGs  will 
       only be displayed as a frame in  FXdraw marking the perimeters  of 
       the  image  with the name  and size placed  in the middle  of  the 
       frame.   You can Draw overtop or underneath a JPEG image in FXdraw 
       which is nice for annotating images.
       
       At this time we are  including a standalone program called FXphoto 
       which is used to convert GIFs  to either colour or grey scale JPEG 
       photographic images.   At this time we provide direct support  for 
       the GIFs (Graphic Interchange Format).  If you intend  to do  much 
       image processing  you will want to purchase  an  image  converter, 
       manager, manipulator.   This way you can convert  from any of  the 
       many  other  image formats,  and crop  or scale  your images to an 
       appropriate size to send them over a modem.   For the most current
       information on processing images please refer to the supplementary 
       digital DOCs titled FXPHOTO.DOC.  
       
       JPEG Photographic images are the least efficient graphical data we 
       support  in  the  RoboBOARD/FX  system.   That does not mean  they 
       should not be used  since JPEGs  are  also  the  most  graphically 
       explicit data  that can be sent.   We suggest for  efficiency sake 
       that  whenever possible,  images are kept  to a small size  and if 
       possible use grey scale JPEGs which allow for higher image quality
        
       Ŀ
        JPEGs Con't   Page 19 
       

       retention.  JPEG images provide a new level  of sophistication  to 
       Online Graphics.   As SysOp you have a responsibility  to your low 
       speed users  to use JPEGs carefully,  and  not  make  them  suffer 
       through unnecessary slow images. 
       
       Ŀ
        Templates  
       

       RoboBOARD/FX  has a  powerful set of  SysOp programmable  Template 
       tools.  Templates  use a  very small  very specific  command  set.  
       These  templates   are  written  using   standard  readable  ASCII 
       characters  and  English  words  using  a program like  DOS  Edit.  
       Templates allow you to create questionnaires,  keep statistics, do 
       online marketing  and get any  data  you  require  from users in a
       controllable  manner.   You  are  given  control  over  the prompt 
       strings, the language of the prompts, and the colour right down to 
       the character. You can specify that only numeric input be allowed, 
       or you can allow alpha  and numeric input.   You can even  include 
       BARs to group input fields.
       
       Templates  information  can  be  appended  to a file on disk,  for 
       integration with your  database software or can be written to your 
       printer, or both.  All the templates seen in RoboBOARD/FX use this 
       template system, so you have many examples to look at. They can be 
       found in the TEMPLATE subdirectory.   We strongly suggest that you 
       do not change the templates supplied with  RoboBOARD/FX and if you 
       do  want to change them  make a backup  of  the  file(s)  you  are 
       planning to change first.  Templates can be accessed from any menu 
       using Menu Commands and are subject to full security checking like
       access level and access tag(s).
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        Introduction to RoboCFG   Page 20 
       
 
       RoboBOARD/FX gives you the SysOp a simple to use yet  powerful set 
       of BBS configuration and management tools called RoboCFG.  RoboCFG 
       uses a mouse,  pull down menus  and pop up templates  to  create a 
       quick  point and shoot  environment.    RoboCFG  is  a  text  mode 
       program;  that means it is very memory efficient  and will perform 
       nicely under Desqview.   In RoboCFG you can,  configure every node 
       independently, define up to eight languages, set up forums, manage 
       files, shell to DOS, build menus, set security, and manage message 
       areas, just to mention a few features.  
       
       RoboBOARD/FX uses a lightning fast database files system that lets 
       you access a CD ROM or CD ROM platter as fast as a hard drive.  No 
       matter  how many files  you have RoboCFG  gives you the tools  you 
       need to manage them quickly.  Managing messages is made easy using 
       RoboCFG.   Using  the  Hudson standard  you can create  up to  200 
       different  message  areas.  You  can  insert,  delete  and  change 
       messages  or change settings on entire message areas  by  pressing  
       a few keys  or  with  the click of a  button.  The  RoboBOARD user 
       editor  is  extremely fast.   You can  globally change user access 
       levels and do detailed searches on names or any other text strings 
       associated with users.  
       
       System security  is a fundamental strength  of RoboBOARD/FX.   You 
       have  complete control over,  what people see  and do on your BBS.  
       Not only do we have  access levels  that range from  0 to 999,  we 
       also have 'A' through 'Z' User Tags. Tags are a completely natural 
       way to separate groups of users.  Access to menus and commands can 
       be based on access levels, tags or both.  This system provides you 
       with a highly configurable security  system.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX supports up to 999 Forums defined numerically. Forums 
       let you  conveniently separate file  and message areas.  If a user 
       does not belong to a Forum they never have to know that file areas 
       and message areas exist for that Forum. 
       
       RoboBOARD/FX can be operated as a full featured  BBS exactly as it 
       comes off the diskette,  or it can be configured to take on a look 
       and feel of your choice.   No matter what you choose there is some 
       personalization involved with setting up RoboBOARD/FX and periodic 
       maintenance is part of running a BBS.   Whether you are running  a 
       support system,  a  commercial system  or  are  just  having  fun, 
       RoboCFG  will  easily take care  of security,  users,  files,  and
       messaging with you.
       
       Don't worry  about  setting up a BBS  if this is  new to you,  the 
       concepts are not overly difficult and  we have put a lot of effort 
       into  creating  a  system   that  does  not  sacrifice  power  for 
       simplicity.    In   our   opinion   configuring   RoboBOARD/FX  is 
       substantially easier than any other BBS program.   This section of 
       our manual  will take you on a tour  of  RoboCFG, stepping through
       the menus and templates we will explain their use.   Along the way 
       we will use  real configuration scenarios  to pull the  ideas  and 
       menu commands together into practical knowledge.
       
        
       Ŀ
        Lets get Started   Page 21 
       
       
       Lets get started!   If  you  have  installed  RoboBOARD/FX,  begin 
       RoboCFG by typing ROBOCFG at the C:\ROBOFX> DOS prompt.  This will 
       start  execution  of   ROBOCFG.EXE  placing  you  in  the  RoboCFG 
       environment.   The background of your screen will be a medium blue 
       colour, and in the centre of your screen  you will see the version 
       number,  the  Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc.  copyright  notice,   the 
       current language  and the node number you are editing.  If you are 
       running a one line board  give nodes  no further thought, the node
       number  always  defaults to one.  If  you  are  running  a  single 
       language BBS you will  not  have  to  think  about language  again 
       either.
       
       Across the top  of your screen  is the  Pull Down  menu  bar.  The 
       menus are named,  Exit,  System, User,  Messages, Files,  Display, 
       Languages, and Nodes.  You can use your mouse to choose a menu  by 
       clicking on the appropriate menu name or you can jump from menu to 
       menu by  typing ALT  and  then the letter  highlighted in red.  In 
       RoboCFG your Left mouse button is used to pick menus  or  position 
       the cursor in templates. You also may navigate the templates using 
       the usual Arrow, Tab, Shift Tab, Home, End, Insert and Enter keys.  
       To activate a template highlight the appropriate command on a pull
       down menu and hit Enter or click on it with your mouse.
       
       Templates and windows  are the basic input tools  used in RoboCFG. 
       Information lists  like users and message areas,  are displayed in 
       scrollable  windows.    Wherever   you   are   required  to  input  
       information  from the keyboard,  you  will be  given  a  template.  
       Templates  are  very  comfortable to use,  in that they are broken 
       into  input  boxes  or  fields.   To  Help  there  are  also brief 
       descriptions of commands  and  template fields  listed  along  the 
       bottom of your screen.   You will find the  Help Line  is  usually 
       enough information to keep you from having  to constantly refer to 
       your DOCs.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX will install on to your system complete with a simple
       configuration  that  applies  to  the default menus.   You can run 
       RoboBOARD/FX  exactly  as  it  installs   or  you  can  change  it 
       completely to suit your specific needs.  The configuration we made 
       was required so that RoboBOARD/FX could function as a BBS,  but it 
       can  also be used by you  as an example  to help you  design  your 
       system. 
        
       Ŀ
        The Exit Menu  
       
       
       The  Exit  Menu  simply  provides  a   way  out   of  the  RoboCFG 
       environment.  You can terminate execution completely and return to 
       DOS,  and temporarily  halt execution and Shell to DOS to  perform 
       another DOS task.
       
       
       
       
        
       Ŀ
        The Exit Menu Con't   Page 22 
       
       
       Ŀ The  DOS Shell command  allows you  to execute another 
       DOS Shell DOS  program   without   completely  leaving   RoboCFG 
        environment. If you click on the DOS Shell command you 
       will be placed outside RoboCFG at the normal DOS prompt.   RoboCFG 
       occupies  about  2-1/2 kilobytes  of  memory  in  the shell so you 
       should be able to run  most of your  DOS applications  without any 
       problem.  To return to RoboCFG type EXIT at the DOS prompt.  While 
       you  are  in  the shell  you  will  see  "Type [EXIT] to return to 
       ROBOCFG", on the line above the DOS prompt.   This  will  act as a 
       reminder that you are in a shell, should you end up in an extended 
       DOS session.
       
       Ŀ The  Exit command  exits RoboCFG  returning you  to the DOS
       Exit prompt.  Execution of RoboCFG is terminated and any changes
        you made during a configuration session are saved.  
       
       Ŀ
        The System Menu  
       
       
       The System Menu lets you define settings  like your  BBS name  and 
       your name.   You can also define system settings  that  affect the 
       BBS as a whole, like  Keyboard Time Out and Paging Times.   
       
       Ŀ System Info  affects settings  that are  specific to 
       System Info your Bulletin Board System.  These fields are stored
        as  Global Settings or System Variables giving other 
       developers and yourself  access to this information.   From top to 
       bottom the fields are.  
       
       SysOp Name, is a field for you to type in your name or alias.  
       
       BBS Name, is for the name  of your BBS.   Your  BBS  Name  will be 
            displayed to your users  when they logon to your BBS  as part 
            of the RoboBOARD/FX Registration,  Serial Number and  Product 
            Information Screen.  
       
       Mail Directory,  is the directory that your mail will be placed in 
            for example C:\ROBOFX\MAIL\   The last back slash is required 
            by RoboBOARD/FX.
       
       Temp Directory,  is the directory that your mail will be placed in 
            for example  C:\ROBOFX\MAIL\  The last back slash is required 
            by RoboBOARD/FX.
       
       Terminal Name,   is the template field where you type the name and 
            most recent version number of FXterm.   This  information  is 
            required in case a user is calling with an outdated Terminal.  
            RoboCFG  will  have  this  field filled in  when you purchase 
            RoboBOARD/FX.
       
       Ŀ Global settings affect  the entire system  no matter what 
       Global node you are configuring.   From top to bottom the fields  
        are:
        
       Ŀ
        The System Menu Con't   Page 23 
       

       KeyBoard Time Out  in seconds,  controls the length of 'Idle' time 
            a user is allowed  before they are  automatically logged  off 
            your system.  RoboBOARD/FX begins counting idle time  when it 
            has completed the tasks a user has selected. If no input from 
            either  the mouse  or the  keyboard is passed  to  your  Host 
            (RoboBOARD/FX)  by the Terminal (FXterm) before the number of 
            seconds you specify are counted down,  the users session will 
            be terminated.   This is a safety mechanism  that is designed 
            for example, to prevent a user from beginning a file download 
            and  then  heading over  to a neighbours  to  watch the game.  
            Without this feature  a  user could  monopolize  your  system 
            without actually using it.
       
       Time Bank Maximum in minutes,  is the global setting that controls 
            the maximum number of minutes  a user may have banked  for  a 
            future session.   Time Banking is a very popular feature with 
            users.   You will often see a user logon to your BBS, look at 
            the  message and  file areas,  then check their time left for 
            the session.  At that point they may decide to bank some time 
            for a future date  when they will return and download a large 
            file or group of files. RoboBOARD/FX comes with the Time Bank 
            Maximum  set to 45 minutes  in the template.   If you do  not 
            want to use a time bank it is best  to remove the option from 
            your  BBS menus completely  or  set the  Menu Command  to  an 
            access  or tag  that does not match  any  of  your users.  By 
            setting the  Time Bank Maximum to Zero and leaving the option 
            on the menu,  your users  will receive a notice  telling them 
            that the Time Bank feature is not available.
       
       Time Bank Daily in minutes, simply sets the maximum amount of time 
            a user  can deposit into  the Time Bank on a daily basis.  If 
            you do not want to allow for  time banking on your BBS, it is 
            best to  remove the option from your menus.   By setting  the 
            Time Bank Maximum to Zero and leaving the option on the menu, 
            your users will receive a notice  telling them  that the Time 
            Bank feature is not available.
       
       Maximum SysOp Pages,  is the global setting that controls how many 
            times during a session  a user  is allowed to page you.  If a 
            user exceeds the allowable Pages they will receive the notice 
            "SysOp is NOT Around".   You  can  completely  eliminate  the 
            Paging feature  by removing it permanently from your menus or 
            you can disable it temporarily  by setting the  Maximum Pages 
            to Zero.
       
       Page Allowed From ??:00 To ??:00 hours.   These  are  the  globals 
            that  control the hours  that you  are available  for paging.  
            They are based on a 24 hour clock,  so noon is 12,  6:00PM is 
            18 and midnight is 0.   This is a very useful feature  if you 
            allow users to page you but also like to sleep  from  time to 
            time.  You can disable Paging completely by removing the Page 
            command  from  your  menus.     If  you  allow  only  certain 
            individuals to page you  then  set the users access  and  the 
            menu commands access accordingly. 
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu   Page 24 
       
       
       The User menu allows you to edit users,  define  Access  Profiles, 
       do  user  based  queries  and  configure  the  Call Back Verifier.  
       Security  is a  snap  using  the  one thousand  convenient  Access 
       Profile Templates in RoboBOARD/FX. 
       
       This  is  an  excellent  time   to  explain  a  little  bit  about 
       RoboBOARD/FXs security system.  All users in the User Base have an 
       access level assigned to them.  All commands found in the BBS have 
       an access level assigned to them.   A user can access all commands 
       that are less than or equal to his or her access level. This is an 
       incredibly simple system,  for example  if the  Page Sysop command
       found on a menu has an access of  750  then any user who has their 
       access set to 749 or less will NOT be able to page the SysOp. 
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  uses  an  innovative  and  powerful  Access  Profile 
       system.  You are allowed to  define one thousand  Access  Profiles 
       from 0 to 999.   Simply put, an Access Profile lets you predefined 
       values for  Access Levels  instead of filling  in  the appropriate 
       template fields in the User Editor for each individual user.  When 
       a  user  is  assigned  an  access  level,  they  inherit  all  the 
       information  in  the  Access Profile  for that  particular  access 
       level.   An Access Profile consists of the profile name, Main menu 
       name,   required file ratio,  kilobyte ratio, daily files allowed, 
       daily kilobytes allowed, and daily time for that access level. You 
       can define as many or as few of  the 1000 possible access profiles 
       as you choose.   Don't worry about trying to use all  1000  access
       profiles.  Most  Bulletin  Board  Systems  use only  a few  access 
       levels.   To make managing the Access Profiles easy, you are given 
       a scroller window  to cruise through  your defined profiles.   For 
       convenience  sake  you  can  even  give  every  Access  Profile  a 
       different  name.   The Access Profile Name  is  very helpful  when 
       remembering the purpose of a particular access level.  
       
       When you install  RoboBOARD/FX  it has a number of Access Profiles 
       already defined.  You can of course change these profiles or leave 
       them just the way they are.   No matter what,  if you are a little 
       unclear on exactly how Access Profiles work,  take a  look at them 
       and the concept will be much clearer.  We have defined: Locked Out 
       (access 0), Unverified User (access 4),  Verified User (access 5), 
       SysOp (access 999).
       
       In the  User Editor you can view  all the data  that applies  to a 
       user within a clear well defined template.   You  will notice that 
       the  users  required  file  ratio,  kilobyte  ratio,  daily  files 
       allowed,  daily kilobytes allowed and daily time fields are blank.  
       These blank fields are interpreted by RoboBOARD/FX as instructions 
       to get the value it needs from the  Access Profile  configuration. 
       This is an important point to remember.  If these fields are blank
       RoboBOARD/FX  will use the  Access Profile configuration.  However 
       if you type values  into the fields  mentioned above  RoboBOARD/FX 
       will override the Access Profile using the values you typed.  This 
       allows  you  to give  special  consideration  to a   user  without 
       creating a different access level for that user.
       
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 25 
       
       
       Security is an important and fundamental element of any BBS.   The 
       last  few  paragraphs  have  been  enough  of an  introduction  to 
       RoboBOARD/FX  security so that you will be able to  understand how 
       it relates to users,  as we step  through  the  User Configuration 
       templates.  RoboBOARD/FX makes security very easy using the Access 
       Profile system we just described, while at the same time providing 
       room  for  individual  configurability  through  the  User  Editor 
       template.   Alphabetical Tags  used in  part by the  menu  system, 
       provide  yet  another level  of  easy  to  configure  security. 
       
       Ŀ The  New Users  template  allows you  to define
       New User Profile whether new users  are allowed on your BBS.  If 
        new  users  are   allowed  you  will  want   to 
       configure these global settings.  They are unique to new users and 
       determine things like what access level and what access tags a new 
       user is given. 
       
       It  is  important  to  note  that  if  you are using the Call Back 
       Verifier  the  New  User  template  is  only  intended  to  define 
       unverified access(the access a user has until they verify). If you 
       are going to use the CBV  you will probably want to give new users 
       a low access level until they verify.  If you are NOT going to use 
       the  Call Back Verifier remember  that this is the only place  you 
       can control global settings for new user access.  
       
       In some parts of the world  you may find that  you may not be able 
       to use the  Call Back Verifier  because local phone numbers do not 
       fit in the template properly.   You may also find that a  CBV does 
       not  provide  the  level of security  you require for your system.  
       Possibly your  security system requires  that you  telephone  your 
       users and verify them by voice personally. 
       
       Allow New Users [YES].   This field simply determines whether  new 
       users  are  allowed  on your system.  On some support  or  special 
       interest systems, new users are not allowed to logon,  instead the 
       SysOp  types their name and password  into the UserBase  for them.  
       The Allow New Users  template field,  is a toggle and  instead  of 
       typing  you click on  the  input field  with your mouse  to toggle 
       between Yes and NO.  If you do not want to use your mouse you also 
       can use the Carriage Return key to toggle the setting.  
       
       New User Access,  is the access that a  new  user  is set to after 
            successful logon to your BBS.  Remember: File ratio, kilobyte 
            ratio, daily files allowed, daily kilobytes allowed and daily 
            time  are set  in the  Access Profile  that  matches New User 
            Access.  
       
       New User Tags, allows you to give new users access Tags. An Access 
            Tag is one character long  and can be used  to  set  a  users 
            access in conjunction with access levels. 
       
       Time Bank Bonus,  allows you  to give  a new user  a time bonus on 
            your system.   We felt this would be a  popular feature  with 
            Boards that are pursuing new users or that charge user fees.
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 26 
       
       
       Expiry in Days, allows you to set the number of days before a user 
            is expired.  Note: If you leave this field blank NO expiry is 
            set.  On  most boards  you do not want  to expire your  users 
            after a period of time, so probably this field will always be 
            blank.
       
       Expiry Access,  is the access level and access profile that a user 
            is set to after they have been expired. If the Expiry in Days 
            field was left blank then this one will be left blank also. 
       
       Expiry Tags,   are the access tags that a user is given after they 
            have expired. If the Expiry in Days field was left blank then 
            this one will be left blank also. 
       
       Ŀ Access  Profiles  are a  unique  and  innovative
       Access Profiles system designed to make  managing security quick
        and  easy.   In RoboBOARD/FX  you are allowed to 
       define  one thousand  Access Profiles from 0 to 999.    An  Access 
       Profile  lets  you name,   set the  required file ratio,  kilobyte 
       ratio, daily files allowed, daily kilobytes allowed and daily time 
       fields  for  every user  on a particular  Access Level instead  of 
       filling in the  User Editor  template  fields for  each individual 
       user.  It saves you typing in five fields for each user,  which in 
       itself is a  substantial time savings but more importantly it lets 
       you  clearly define  groups  of  users  based  on access.  You can 
       create as many  or as few profiles  as you like,  and you can give 
       them logical names like Locked Out, VIP, CoSysOp etc..
       
       All  Access Profiles  are  created  and  managed using the  Access 
       Profile  Editor.   This Editor type will be familiar  to you since 
       the same type is used for files,  users,  and messages.   When you 
       click on Access Profiles the  Access Profile Editor will pop up on 
       your screen.
       
       To make managing  Access Profiles easy,  you are given  a scroller 
       window to browse through your defined profiles,  and only  defined 
       profiles are displayed.  You can use your arrow keys  or  mouse to 
       highlight an access profile.  There are two columns, the first one 
       is named ###  which refers to the access level  and  the second is 
       NAME,  which  displays  the name you assign to an  Access Profile.  
       Whether you have customized  RoboBOARD/FX to your needs or not you 
       will see a few Access Profiles in your scroller window.  You might 
       have  Locked Out (access 0),  Unverified User  or  New (access 4), 
       Verified User (access 5),  and  SysOp (access 999);  these are the 
       RoboBOARD/FX default settings.   Along the right hand side  of the 
       editor are the Edit, Insert, and Delete commands, which operate on 
       the highlighted Access Profile.  They are fully described below.
       
       [ Edit ] Access Profile:  Clicking  on edit will pop up the Access 
       Profile  template.  There  are  seven fields  that  allow  you  to 
       configure an access level.  These fields can be filled in entirely 
       or partially or not at all.  If a field is left blank RoboBOARD/FX   
       interprets  it as  instructions to not limit the user,  for  thats 
       fields function.
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 27 
       
       
       Profile Name.   This is the name you give an  access level profile 
            for your own convenience.   If you have many profiles defined 
            this name can be used to remind  you what a particular access 
            level is intended for, like Locked Out or SysOp.
       
       Main Menu File.   This is a powerful feature of RoboBOARD/FX which 
            allows you to  display a different main menu for every access 
            profile  you  have  defined.  If  this  field  is  left blank 
            RoboBOARD/FX  will default to Main which is defined using the 
            Menu Editor found on the Display Pulldown.
       
       File Ratio,   determines what upload to download ratio a user must 
            maintain on your BBS.   RoboBOARD/FX comes with a default one 
            to five ratio.   That means that a user  must upload one file 
            for every five they download. If this field is left blank the 
            users upload to download ratio will be unlimited.
       
       Kilo Ratio,  determines what upload to  download ratio a user must 
            maintain in kilobytes on your BBS.  RoboBOARD/FX comes with a 
            default fifty  to  one thousand ratio set.  That means that a 
            user must  upload 50 kilobytes  for  every  one thousand they 
            download.  If this field is left blank  the  users  upload to
            download ratio in kilobytes will be unlimited.
       
       Daily Files,  limits the number of files  a user may download on a 
            daily basis no matter how big or small they are.   Of  course 
            if the user tries  to  extend  their  time  on the  system by 
            loading the download queue  with a number of large files that 
            extends  them beyond their  Daily Time,  RoboBOARD/FX  starts 
            skipping  files  that  are too big  to send in  the remaining 
            time.  If RoboBOARD/FX does not find any files that are small 
            enough to send in the remaining time  it will skip to the end 
            and exit the queue.  If this field is  left blank  the  users 
            Daily Files will be unlimited.
       
       Daily Kilos,  limits the number of kilos  a user may download on a 
            daily basis.  If this field  is left blank  the  users  Daily 
            Files will be unlimited.
       
       Daily Time, is the length of time expressed in minutes that a user 
            is allowed to stay online.  RoboBOARD/FX comes with a default 
            of 55 minutes.   If this field is left blank  the users daily 
            time will be unlimited.
       

       [ INSert ] Access Profile:  Clicking  on  Insert  will  pop  up  a 
       dialogue window  asking what  Access Level  you want  to create an 
       Access Profile for. When you choose an Access Level,  RoboBOARD/FX 
       will insert  a blank line at  the  correct location in the  Access 
       Profile Editor.   After a blank line is inserted in the editor you 
       will  have to  click on the  Edit button  to  fill  in the  Access 
       Profile template. NOTE: If you Insert an empty Access Profile over  
       top  (with the same number)  the contents  of the original Profile 
       will be lost.
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 28 
       
       
       [ DELete] Access Profile:  Clicking on DELete will delete the high
       lighted Access Profile template.  NOTE: Be careful when using this 
       command,   after  an  Access  Profile  is  DELeted  it  cannot  be 
       recovered.      

       [ Quit ] Access Profile:Clicking  on  Quit  will exit you from the
       Access Profile Editor and return you to the User Pulldown. Changes  
       are saved.
        
       Ŀ The User Editor  is designed  to make managing  your
       User Editor userbase easy no matter how many users you have. The
        User Editor is the tool you will use to make changes 
       to  an  individual users information,   view  an  individual users 
       statistics,  do global  userbase changes  and do  searches on user 
       information.
       
       It should be noted that most of the information in the userbase is 
       volunteered  by the user,  so  you  cannot guaranty  the  validity 
       of  the  information unless you call  the user up  and  verify  it 
       yourself.   You can verify the users data number by using the call 
       back verifier however many boards allow users to access and change 
       their  personnal  information  by  using  the  User  Settings Menu 
       command. 
       
       The  User Editor  is  very much like  the  Access  Profile  Editor 
       described above in the way it functions.   To make  managing Users 
       easy,  you are given a  scroller window  to  browse  through  your 
       userbase.   You can use your arrow keys or mouse  to  highlight an 
       individual  user.  There are three columns,  the first one  is ### 
       which refers to the users position in the userbase,  the second is 
       NAME,  which displays the users name and the third is ACCESS which
       displays a users access level/profile.  If you have not configured
       RoboBOARD/FX  you may want add your name  to the userbase.   Along 
       the right hand side of the User Editor are the Edit, Global, Find, 
       Insert, and Delete commands  that all perform different operations 
       to the userbase.  They are fully described below.
       
       [ Edit ] User:Clicking on edit will pop up the User Edit template.  
       This may very well be the most full template used by RoboBOARD/FX.  
       All  the  data  collected  by  RoboBOARD/FX  regarding  a user  is 
       accessible through this template.   We will describe each field in 
       the template from top to bottom.
       
       Name.  The users name. If this field is not filled in the template 
            will be considered empty.  
       
       Alias.  A users alias is the  name that a user  is otherwise known 
            as. The RoboBOARD/FX default settings will ask a new user for 
            their  alias  at logon.   A user can change  their alias  and 
            password if they use the "User Settings" menu. This field can 
            be left blank.
       
       Password. The password a user types in to gain access to your BBS.  
            This field must be filled in, for a user to logon.
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 29 
       
       
       Voice Phone.   This is the number that a user can be reached at to 
            carry on a voice conversation.  This field can be left blank.
       
       Data Phone.  The users logon telephone number.
       
       Birthday.  This  field  is for  the users  date of birth. Input is 
            expected in Month/Day/Year format.
       
       Street.  A users street address.
       
       City State.  What City and State a user lives in.
       
       Country.  What Country a user resides in.
       
       Zip Code.  A users postal code.
       
       Access.  This field defines a users access level.   If there is an  
            Access  Profile  created  for this  access  level,   it  will 
            automatically  set the  users  required file ratio,  kilobyte 
            ratio, daily files allowed, daily kilobytes allowed and daily 
            time fields   provided that these fields   located along  the 
            right hand side  of the template  have  not  been  filled  in 
            overriding Access Profile. Note: Be careful when setting your 
            Access Level and access Tags  if you are using a product that 
            lets  you  access   DOS   remotely.    You  do  not  want  to 
            accidentally  give   users  access  to  your  system  at  the 
            DOS level.
       
       Access Tags.  A user can have up to  26 alphabetical  Access  Tags 
            assigned to them.  Using the  Access Level  system a user can 
            access every command  or  menu that is less than  or equal to 
            their access level.   Alpha  Access Tags  are  very different 
            because a users tags must match tags assigned to a command or
            menu  exactly.  For example tags  are an excellent  method of 
            separating users who have paid  to play a game from those who 
            have not.
       
       User Note.  The user note  is a field that lets you leave yourself 
            a private note about a user.  There is no way that a user can 
            access this information through  RoboBOARD/FX  other than the 
            scenario mention under Access Level.  
       
       File Ratio.  NOTE: This field will  almost  always  be blank  when 
            using Access Profiles, unless your are overriding the profile 
            settings.  The File Ratio  determines what upload to download 
            ratio a user must maintain on your BBS.
       
       Kilo Ratio.  NOTE:  This field  will almost always  be blank  when 
            using Access Profiles, unless your are overriding the profile 
            settings.  The Kilo Ratio  determines what upload to download 
            ratio a user must maintain in kilobytes on your BBS.
       
       Daily Files. NOTE:  This field will  almost  always be blank  when 
            using Access Profiles, unless your are overriding the profile 
        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 30 
       

            settings.  Daily Files, limits the number of files a user may 
            download  on a  daily basis  no matter how big  or small they 
            are.  Of course if the user tries to extend their time on the 
            system  by loading the download queue  with a number of large 
            files that extend them beyond their Daily Time,  RoboBOARD/FX 
            starts  skipping files  that  are  too big  to  send  in  the 
            remaining time.  If RoboBOARD/FX does not find any files that
            are small enough  to send  in the time that remains  it  will 
            skip to the end and exit the queue.
       
       
       Daily Kilos.  NOTE: This field will almost always  be  blank  when 
            using Access Profiles, unless your are overriding the profile 
            settings.  Daily Kilos limits the number of kilobytes of data 
            a user may download on a daily basis.
       
       Daily Time.  NOTE:  This field  will almost  always be blank  when 
            using Access Profiles, unless your are overriding the profile 
            settings.  Daily Time  is the  length  of time  expressed  in 
            minutes that a user is allowed to stay online.
       
       Time Left.  This is the total time a user has left for that day in 
            minutes.  It  is  important  for  RoboBOARD/FX  to  keep this 
            information in the  Global Settings  for users who might call 
            more than once on a day.    
       
       Time Banked.  This is the  total time  that a user  has banked  in 
            minutes. 
       
       Calls Made.  This is the total number of calls  a user has made to 
            your system.
       
       First Call. The first date a user logged on to your system, stored 
            in Month/Day/Year format.
       
       Last Call.  The last date a user logged on to your system,  stored 
            in Month/Day/Year format.
       
       Expiry Date. The date  a users account  expires  on  your  system, 
            stored in Month/Day/Year format.  If this field is left blank 
            a users account will not expire.
       
       Expiry Acc.  This is the  access  level  a user  has  after  their 
            account  has  expired.   You may want a user  to have limited 
            access to your BBS even after their account has expired. This 
            field is only set if the Expiry Date field is filled.
       
       Expiry Tags.  These are the  Tags a  user  is  given  after  their 
            account has expired.   This field  is only set if the  Expiry 
            Date field is filled.
       



        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 31 
       
       [ Global Change ] The Global Change command  activates  a powerful
       template called GLOBAL USER CHANGE that lets you  modify an entire 
       userbase in seconds flat.  The Global Change command will exchange 
       one set of access level and tags  with another  set of user access 
       level for the entire userbase. One thing to remember is that these 
       changes  cannot  be  undone,  so  it is a very good idea to  think 
       your  changes  through  before  making them.  You can also use the 
       Global User Changer to change a group to a new access profile with 
       out changing their commands.  RoboCFG only operates  on the fields 
       that are filled in.
       
       CHANGE USERS WITH:   These two fields, Access and Tags define what
            users will be changed.   Only users who match both Access and 
            Tags exactly will be changed.
       
       CHANGE USER TO:  Users will be changed TO whatever values you type
            into the Access and Tags fields.  Since user access  is based 
            on Access Profiles  the user will inherit  the access profile 
            that  is  assigned  to  their  new access level.  If you have 
            overridden the  Access Profile  settings  by  filling  in the 
            users  required  file ratio,  kilobyte  ratio,   daily  files 
            allowed, daily kilobytes allowed and daily time fields in the 
            User Editor, RoboBOARD/FX will not alter these overrides.  If 
            you want to change overrides you will be required to make the
            changes manually.
       
       [ Find ] String: The RoboBOARD/FX Find command will search through 
       names and aliases in the  userbase looking for any text string you 
       type  into the template.  The search  is made in a  first user  in 
       userbase to  newest user direction.   Click on Find,  and the Find 
       Text template will  pop up asking you what text to look for.  Type 
       in the  whole or partial name  or alias  you are searching for and
       RoboBOARD/FX will scream through the user base looking for a match 
       and stop if it finds one.  This Find command is not case sensitive 
       so   don't  worry  about  getting   the  uppercase  and  lowercase 
       characters in the right sequence.
       
       [ INSert ] User: Clicking on  INSert  will  create an  empty  user 
       template directly  above  the one you highlighted  on your screen.  
       You will then be able to manually fill in the template  by picking 
       the Edit button.  
       
       [ DELete ] User: Clicking on DELete  will  delete the  highlighted 
       User from the userbase.  NOTE: Be careful when using this command, 
       after a user is DELeted their information will not be recoverable.
       
       [ Quit ] User Editor.  Clicking  on  Quit will exit you  from  the 
       User Editor and return you to the User Pulldown.
       
       





        
       Ŀ
        The User Menu Con't  Page 32 
       
       Ŀ RoboBOARD/FX comes with a built in Call Back
        Call Back Verifier Verifier.       The   Call   Back   Verifier 
        automatically  calls  an unverified  user or 
       first time caller  on their data line  after they fill in  the new 
       user template  and  possibly see bulletins  that  are allowed  for 
       their unverified access.  The  unverified  user is asked to verify
       their password,  and if they do so  successfully their access will 
       be upgraded to whatever level you have defined in the CBV. 
       
       The Call Back Verifier feature is not for everyone or all types of 
       BBS systems.   If this level of security suits your needs, the CBV 
       is a handy tool that can save you a lot of time verifying users by 
       voice phone.  The CBV is not intended to work in Europe due to the 
       lack of a  standard length  for phone numbers.  It should be noted 
       that if you intend to use the  Call Back Verifier  the settings in
       this template  should  be  used as  an  upgrade  from  the  global 
       settings set by the New Users template.
       
       Allow Call Back, is a toggle that turns the CBV off or on.  If you 
       have been using the  CBV and decide to turn it off you may want to 
       change the system settings found in the New Users template.
       
       Area  Codes  Dialable,  are  three fields that determine what area 
            codes are dialable by the CBV.
       
       Verified User Access,  is  the   Access Level/Profile  a  user  is 
            upgraded to by the CBV,  if  they successfully  verify  their 
            password.   RoboBOARD/FX  is  configured  with  the  verified 
            access value set to five.
       
       Verified User Tags,  allows you to  give a  verified  users  Alpha  
            Access Tags.
       
       Expiry in Days, allows you to set the number of days before a user 
            is expired.  Note: If you leave this field blank NO expiry is 
            set.   On most boards  you do not want  to expire  your users 
            after a period of time, so this field probably will always be 
            blank.
       
       Expiry Access,  is the access level and access profile that a user 
            is set to after they have been expired. If the Expiry in Days 
            field was left blank then this one will be left blank also.
       
       Expiry Tags,  are the access tags that a user is given  after they 
            have expired. If the Expiry in Days field was left blank then 
            this one will be left blank also. 
       
       







        
       Ŀ
        The Messages Menu  Page 33 
       
       
       The Messages Menu allows you to edit,  create,  and delete message 
       areas.  RoboCFG makes managing your message bases a simple process 
       with our template driven tools.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX uses a Hudson type messaging system.  You can have up 
       to thirty-two thousand messages spread over 200 Message Areas. The 
       message base is  Fido Echo Mail compatible  and  supports features 
       such as  public only messages  as well as  handles and  read/write 
       accesses.   RoboBOARD/FX comes configured  with a  default message 
       area titled GENERAL MAIL.  This area is used as a default area for 
       messages.  
       
       Individual messages  found in these message areas  are not managed 
       by RoboBOARD/FX,  rather  they are tossed,  scanned and  packed by 
       packages such as IMAIL, FMAIL or GECHO.  These are  commonly found 
       shareware  utilities  that  are   designed  to  manage  individual 
       messages within a Hudson message base.
       
       Ŀ RoboBOARD  allows you to  configure up to 999 numerically
       Forums denoted Forums.   The template you see  when you click on
        Forums  is really only there for your convenience.  It is 
       simply a way for you to  keep track of what  Forum is attached  to 
       what number.   BBS can be easily run without  ever creating Forums
       other  than  the  default  Main Forum.   Forums  are used by  menu 
       commands  pertaining to Files and Messages.   For that reason  you 
       can view the  Forum Index  on both  the  Messages  and  the  Files 
       Pulldown Menus.   A Forum is used primarily  to keep one group  of 
       users out of files and messages  that are intended for a different 
       group  of  users.   The  Forum manager  is explained  from top  to 
       bottom:
       
       [ Edit ] Forum: Clicking on Edit pops up the  Editor screen  which 
       has only one field for the name of the Forum.   The  name field is 
       really only a  memo field since Forums are numeric,  but after you 
       get  a  few  forums  on  the  go this  becomes a  very appreciated 
       feature.  If you highlighted an existing Forum you will be able to
       edit that Forums name.   If you highlighted a blank Forum you will 
       be able to fill in the name field.  To create a new forum you must 
       first insert a blank Forum and then Edit it.
       
       [ INSert ] Forum:  Allows you Insert an empty field into the Forum 
       editor.   When you click on the Insert button a menu pops up  with 
       one field  asking what the Forum number  is you want to create.  A 
       blank  field  is  then placed  at that  Forums number and must  be 
       filled in using the Edit button.
       
       [ DELete ] Forum: Simply removes the highlighted Forum field.
       
       [ Quit ]  Returns you to the Messages Menu.
       




        
       Ŀ
        The Messages Menu Con't  Page 34 
       
       
       Ŀ In  RoboBOARD/FX  Message Areas  are managed using
       Message Areas the  Message Area Editor.  For  each  Message Area 
         you  have  configured,  the  Message  Area Editor
       displays from left to right, first the message base Number, second 
       the  Name  of the message base, and  thirdly  the  Type of message 
       base.   Along the right hand side of the Message Area list are the 
       Edit, INSert  and DELete tools.   To  select  a  Message Area  for 
       editing,  scroll  through  the  list  using  your  arrow  keys  or 
       highlight an area by clicking on it with your mouse.
       
       [ Edit ]  Picking the  Edit function  pops up the  Edit  Template.  
       This is the tool that allows you  to make changes  to an existing 
       message area template or  to fill in the blanks on a new template 
       created after picking INSert.
       
       Name.   This is the  Descriptive Name  you  have  chosen  for  the 
            message area,  and it is also the  name seen by the user when 
            selecting  a  message  area.  The message bases  are  defined 
            numerically  but this is the description your users will read 
            about an area.
       
       Area Number.  This refers to the message  Area Number from  one to 
            two hundred within the Hudson Message Base. This message Area 
            Number is required by RoboBOARD/FX and echo mail utilities so 
            that  messages can be placed  in the  correct areas  on  your 
            systems. 
       
       Area Type.  The Area Type field  is a button  that toggles between 
            LOCAL  and  ECHO  mail.    If  the  ECHO  option  is  chosen, 
            information will be attached to the message  that is required 
            by echo mail networks like Fido and Worldnet.   If you have a 
            tosser/scanner you will be able to export and import messages
            created in or for this area.   If the Area Type toggle is set 
            to  LOCAL,  messages  will not be exported  from your system.  
            LOCAL messages  are intended to be read  and written  only on 
            your BBS.
       
       Msg Settings,  is a  roller button  that  determines  if  messages 
            written in this area  can be  Private only,  Public  only  or 
            either  Private or Public.   Private means that the author of 
            the  message chooses  the person  that  can read the message. 
            Public means  that the  author has no control  over who reads 
            the message.  If you choose the PRI/PUB option, the user will 
            be given radio buttons in the message writer, to toggle their 
            message between Private and Public mail.
       
       Name Style,  is a roller button  that decides whether  a user must 
            use their real name,  if they can use a handle or if they can 
            choose either.  REAL NAME means the user has no choice, their 
            Real Name  is read from the user database  when they post the 
            message.  HANDLES means that a user is given no option, their 
            Handle (alias) is read from  the user database when they post 
            the message.  NAME/HANDLES  gives a user the  choice  between 
            using their real name or their handle.  At the time that they 
        
       Ŀ
        The Messages Menu Con't  Page 35 
       
            post their message a dialogue box will pop up and ask them to 
            choose between Real Name or Handle
       
       Forum.  This letter determines which Forum  this  message base can 
            be accessed from. To access this message base from all Forums 
            type in the number 0.
       
       Read Access.  This is the  minimum access a user must have  to  be 
            able to Read messages from this Message Area.
       
       Read Tags.  These are the tags  that a user must have  in order to 
            Read messages in this Message Area.
       
       Write Access.  This is the minimum access  a user must have  to be 
            able to Write messages from this Message Area.
       
       Write Tags.  These are the tags that a user must have  in order to 
            Write messages in this Message Area.
       
       SysOp Access.  If your access is set to this level  or greater you 
            are SysOp and can read anyone elses mail.  There may be legal 
            and moral implications  in reading a users private mail.   We 
            only included this feature for SysOps that live in a country, 
            state or province where this is legal.   It is  up to you  to 
            make certain  that reading a users private mail  is  legal in 
            your locale.   RoboBOARD/FX does not come out of its security 
            envelope with this field filled in.  Important:  If the Sysop 
            Access is BLANK it means that this feature is NOT ACTIVE.
       
       Msg Tag Line,  This the  Tag Line you want  attached to your  Echo 
            Mail.
       
       System Addr,  This is your  ie:  FidoNet  or  WorldNet, address as 
            determined by them.
       
       [ INSert ]  Insert  will  create  a  blank template  on  the  line 
       directly above the highlighted Message Area.  Use the Edit command 
       to fill in the new field.
       
       [ DELete ]  Delete  will delete  the  Message Area you  have high-
       lighted.   The Message Area complete with all its messages will be 
       intact, only the  Message  Area  Configuration  Template  will  be 
       deleted.
       
       [ Quit ]  Quit simply returns you to the Messages pulldown menu.
              
       








        
       Ŀ
        The Files Menu  Page 36 
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  uses a super fast  Database file system,  which lets 
       you query a CD Rom platter as fast as your hard drive.   Files are 
       divided into file areas,  allowing for  high  level  security  and 
       management.  The  Files Menu  provides tools  that  allow  you  to 
       quickly edit,  create,  and delete file areas.   Individual  files 
       within  file  areas   can  also  be  easily  managed   by   adding 
       descriptions,  marking,  orphaning,  copying  and  deleting files.  
       RoboCFG packs a powerful set of file management tools into a small 
       package and once again its all templated.
      
       Ŀ RoboBOARD allows you  to configure up to 999  numerically 
       Forums denoted Forums.  The template  you see when you  click on
        Forums is really only there  for your convenience.  It is 
       simply a way  for you to keep track of  what Forum  is attached to 
       what number.  BBS can be easily run  without ever creating  Forums
       other  than  the  default  Main Forum.  Forums  are  used  by menu 
       commands pertaining to Files and Messages. For that reason you can 
       view the Forum Index  on both the Messages and the  Files Pulldown 
       Menus.   A Forum is used primarily  to keep one group of users out 
       of files and messages  that are intended  for a different group of 
       users.  The Forum manager is explained from top to bottom:
       
       [ Edit ] Forum: Clicking on Edit  pops up the Editor screen  which 
       has only one field for the name of the Forum.   The name field  is 
       really only a memo field since Forums are numeric,  but after  you 
       get a  few forums  on the  go  this  becomes  a  very  appreciated 
       feature.  If you highlighted an existing Forum you will be able to
       edit that Forums name.   If you highlighted a blank Forum you will 
       be able to fill in the name field.  To create a new forum you must 
       first insert a blank Forum and then Edit it.
       
       [ INSert ] Forum: Insert allows you Insert an empty field into the 
       Forum editor.   When you click on the Insert button a menu pops up 
       with one field  asking what the Forum number  is  that you want to 
       create.   A blank field is then placed  at that Forums number  and 
       must be filled in using the Edit button.
       
       [ DELete ]  Delete simply removes the highlighted Forum field.
       
       [ Quit ]  Quit returns you to the Messages Menu.
       
       Ŀ In  RoboBOARD/FX  File Areas  are managed  using the 
       Files Areas File  Area  Editor.  The File Area Editor shows from
        left to right,  first  the  File  Area  Number,  and 
       secondly the Name of the File Area.   Along the right hand side of 
       the File Area list is the Edit,  Manage,  INSert and DELete tools.  
       To select a  File Area for editing scroll through the  list  using 
       your arrow keys or highlight the area you want to edit by clicking 
       your mouse on it.
       
       [ Edit ] File Area:  Picking the  Edit function  pops up  the Edit 
       Template.  This is the tool that allows you  to make changes to an 
       existing  file area template  or to fill  in the blanks  on  a new 
       template created by picking INSert first.
        
       Ŀ
        The Files Menu Con't  Page 37 
       
       
       Area Name,  is the name of the file area  that the user sees  when 
            they do a listing of file areas.
       
       Path To Files, is the full DOS path to all the files that are used 
            to make up a File Area.  ie, C:\ROBOBBS\GIFS\   The last back 
            slash is required  so  that  RoboBOARD/FX  will  look  in the 
            correct location on your drives.  RoboBOARD/FX does NOT allow  
            you  to  have  a  file at  one  physical location on the hard 
            drive, and listed in multiple file areas.   RoboBOARD/FX does 
            not look across directories  or drives when searching  for  a 
            file,  it only looks in the  directory  you  type in  Path To 
            Files.  Some sysops want their archivers listed at the top of 
            every  file  area.   What we suggest  to avoid duplication of 
            files on the harddrive is,  since  there is no limit  to  the 
            number of  File Areas you can have,  simply make a  File Area 
            called Archivers.  Set the Access Low on that area and do not 
            give it a  Forum so that  it will be accessible  by everyone.
            Database File,  is the file name  you  give  RoboBOARD/FX  to 
            store its database information in.   Since this is a DOS file 
            name,  it cannot  be more  than  eight  characters  long  and 
            RoboBOARD/FX will automatically  give it a dot FBS extension.  
            Be certain that the name you give for the  Database File does 
            not already exist  since  RoboBOARD/FX  will  overwrite  that 
            file.   Another thing to keep in mind  is  that  since  files  
            listed in File Areas  will often be on CD Roms,  RoboBOARD/FX 
            stores all Database Files  in the ROBODATA directory.  Simply 
            providing a different  Path To Files is not good enough,  the 
            Database File name must be different.
       
       Storage Type.   This is a toggle that lets you choose between HARD 
            DRIVE and CD ROM.  Storage Type is based on whether the files 
            that make up this File Area are located on your Hard drive or 
            on your CD Rom.
       
       Forum Number.  This number determines  which Forum this  File Area 
            can be accessed from.  The default is 0 which allows the file 
            area to be accessed from all Forums.
       
       View Access.  This is the  minimum access a user must have  to  be 
            able to View Files from this File Area.
       
       View Tags.  These are the tags  that a user must have  in order to 
            View Files in this File Area.
       
       Download Access.  This is the minimum access  a user must have  to 
            Download Files from this File Area.
       
       Download Tags.   These are the tags  that  a  user  must  have  to  
            Download Files in this File Area.
       
       SysOp Access. The required access that a SysOp must have to access 
            this file area.
       

        
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        The Files Menu Con't  Page 38 
       

       [ Manage ] File Area:  Manage  is  the  template that  is  used to 
       manage  individual  files  within  a  File Area.   After  you have 
       configured a File Area using the File Area Editor,  highlight that 
       File Area  and click on the  Manage Button.   A window will pop up 
       containing a list of  all the  files  found  at  the  address  you 
       specified  in  the  Path To Files  field  of  the   Edit File Area  
       template. They will be listed in order form newest to oldest. From 
       left to right the columns displayed:  1st) the file name, 2nd) the 
       file size  in bytes,  3rd) the file date MM/DD/YY,  and  4th) file
       status.  
       
       The file status is a listing of particular interest.   If the File 
       Area you chose is a new file area,  all the files listed will have 
       a "Orphan File" status.   Orphan files have not been added  to the 
       File Area and will not be available for the user to download. If a 
       file has been added to the  File Area instead  of being an  orphan 
       there will be a file description.
       
       Along the  right side of  the files window  are the edit commands.  
       They are  Edit,  Mark,  Copy,  Orphan, and Delete.  These commands 
       operate on the file you have highlighted in the files window.
       
       ( Edit ) Individual File: Edit will pop up the File Edit template.  
       After you have filled in the  File Edit template  the  highlighted 
       file will loose  its status as Orphan.   The File Edit template is 
       also used to modify existing file descriptions and statistics.
       
       Description, allows you to describe a file for your users  to view 
            as part of the one file listing they see.  
       
       Uploaded By,  is the name of the person  who uploaded the file  to 
            your BBS.
       
       Times Downloaded,  counts the  number of times  that  a particular 
            file has been downloaded.
       
       ( Mark ) File:  Files are Marked  in  order  to  select  them  for 
       copying  to a different File Area,  orphaning and  deleting.   The 
       only  command  that  does not work  in conjunction  with  the Mark 
       command is Edit. If you click on Mark a node will be placed to the 
       immediate  left  of  the  highlighted  file  name.   A move can be 
       performed by marking files,  Copying them to a new File Area,  and 
       then Deleting the marked files.  
       
       ( Copy ) File:  Copy  is  used  to  copy files from  File Area  to 
       another.  Files are copied complete with all their template fields 
       ie, Description and Uploaded By.   To  copy files  first mark them 
       using the Mark command,  then click on the Copy button.  A  window 
       will pop up called 'Copy to Which Area?'.   Use your arrow keys or 
       the scrollers to highlight the File Area you want the marked files
       copied to.  After you have highlighted the correct File Area click 
       on the Copy key to complete the operation.   You will notice  that 
       this window will not drop down until you click on the Quit button.  
       This allows you to copy the files to multiple File Areas.
        
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        The Files Menu Con't  Page 39 
       
       
       ( Orphan ) File:  Orphan forces marked files to become  Orphans or 
       loose their  template descriptions etc.   That means that the file 
       still exists  on your  hard drive  but the user  will not be  made 
       aware of its existence.  
       
       ( DELete ) File: DELete removes marked files from your hard drive.  
       You will be prompted with the Question:  Delete Marked Files?  YES 
       or NO.  If you choose YES  the files  will not  be  recoverable by 
       RoboBOARD/FX. 
       
       ( Quit )  Quit exits the File Editor.
       
       [ INSert ] File Area:  INSert will create a blank template  on the 
       line  directly  above  the  highlighted  File  Area.  Use the Edit 
       command to fill in the new field.
       
       [ DELete ] File Area:  DELete will delete the  File Area  you have 
       highlighted.  The files in the  DOS directory  will be intact  but 
       the File Area database will be deleted.
       
       Ŀ
        The Display Menu 
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  is a  completely configurable  256/16 Colour VGA BBS
       Software  System.   The  Display  menu  gives  you  access  to the 
       RoboBOARD/FX graphics design and graphics menu commands.   You can 
       use RoboBOARD/FX the way we configured it by modifying security to 
       suit your needs, but for many people having a totally personalized 
       BBS is important, necessary or fun. RoboBOARD/FX gives you a truly 
       integrated design solution. From RoboCFG you can seamlessly design 
       menus and graphics screens in FXdraw.  Using the Menu Editor found 
       on the  Display Pulldown  you  can  assign  menu commands,  access 
       levels  and access Tags  to menu buttons created in FXdraw.  After 
       you have created a new menu or modified an existing menu,  you can 
       give your system  a real test by logging on in Local Mode.   Using 
       the tools found on the RoboCFG pulldown menus,  you can completely 
       configure and test your system design,  before users  ever see it.  
       
       Ŀ Clicking  on  the  Drawing  Editor   button  will 
       Drawing Editor seamlessly put you in  FXdraw the  Tel-FX Drawing
        and Design package.  Upon exiting FXdraw you will 
       be returned to RoboCFG.
       
       Ŀ The Menu Editor is a very important tool used in the
       Menu Editor design of menus.   The concepts used in  menu design
        are  fairly  simple.   Under  this  heading  we will
       describe the process of creating menus and at the same time detail 
       the menu commands.
       
       Creating a menu begins in FXdraw where the menu is drawn.  Buttons 
       are also drawn in FXdraw using what else, the Button buttons.   If 
       you have tried out FXdraw  you may have noticed that when you draw 
       a button you are prompted for a Letter of the alphabet  (key  from 
        
       Ŀ
        The Display Menu Con't  Page 40 
       

       your keyboard).  Every button you draw in  FXdraw has a Letter  of 
       the  alphabet  attached  to it.   These letters are stored  in the 
       drawing database for that particular drawing.  If buttons are used 
       in a drawing,  you  have  the  basis for a displayable interactive 
       menu.  If no buttons are used  you simply have a drawing.   At the 
       nuts and bolts level, FXterm returns a Keypress or Letter attached 
       to a button when it is pressed on the users terminal end,  to your 
       host end.   RoboBOARD/FX the Host,  knows what menu is active  and 
       what  Menu Command is attached to the key  the user clicked.  With 
       this knowledge RoboBOARD/FX  then executes  the  Menu Command  the 
       user clicked on.
       
       RoboBOARD/FX uses a rigid file structure.  A menu is stored in two 
       parts, the definition file and the graphic file. This way the same 
       definition file can apply to a Tel-FX graphic menu (TFX), a colour 
       ANSI  menu (ANS) or a mono  ANSI menu (ASC).   MENUS are stored in 
       language specific directories  on multilingual BBSs  and on single 
       language systems they are stored at C:\ROBOFX\ENGLISH\MENUS\  (the 
       language may vary even within the  English langauge ie:  USA, CDN, 
       ENGLISH,  AUST).    Graphics  for   these  menus   are  stored  at 
       C:\ROBOFX\ENGLISH\GRAPHICS\ .
       
       RoboBOARD/FX allows you to create duplicate menus many layers deep
       based on access level and Tags.  You can have a hundred MAIN menus 
       if you choose,  one for every access level  you  define.   This of 
       course  becomes impractical quickly,  but it may be important  for 
       you to have a few different menu structures  for  different groups 
       of users.   
       
       The scenario is:  You have invested  in hardware  and software and 
       are selling time on your system to three companies  that either do 
       not have the time or personnel to manage a professional BBS.   All 
       three  groups,  have unique clients that logon  to your system  to 
       leave  messages  and  download  information.   Your  clients  have
       requested  that  the  end  user never know  that this  is a shared 
       system, so security is an important matter.   You  choose to  draw 
       three different sets of menus  to match the special needs  of each 
       group.  You have decided that to keep things simple users from all 
       three groups will share the same access level  you have chosen for 
       fully verified users.   To separate the different users  you  have 
       given each group  a unique  access  Tag.   You also have created a 
       unique Forum for each group of users.   When a user logs onto your 
       system, new mail will be scanned only in their Forum and they will 
       see only the  bulletins and  menus  that have the same  Tag set as 
       them.   This is a simple example of relationship between security, 
       menus and Forums.   Based on this example  it is not difficult  to 
       envision  how deeply complex  or  how  simple  you  can keep  menu 
       systems and security.  
       
       RoboBOARD/FX menus rely on a large group of primary  BBS functions 
       called  COMMAND FUNCTIONS.   Command  Functions  are  attached  to 
       buttons,  and  are  executed  when  the  end  user  clicks  on the 
       appropriate button on their end.  When you are configuring  a menu 
       you  can,  scroll  through  the list  of available commands.   The 
        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 41 
       

       Commands Functions  do everything from  Log a user off your system 
       to  Download  files.   You don't have to know  anything about  how 
       these  Command Functions  actually work to use them,  RoboBOARD/FX 
       takes care of it for you.   All you have to know  is what they  do 
       and how to attach them to a menu. 
       
       The above paragraphs were written to give you enough knowledge, so 
       that you will be able to easily understand  the template system we 
       are going to describe in the following paragraphs.
       
       [ Menu File ]  When you  click on  the Menu Editor  button a  Menu 
       File menu will pop up on your screen. The Files menu lets you Open 
       an existing Menu file for editing or Create a New menu.  The three 
       buttons on this menu are,  Open,  New,  and Quit.  If you click on 
       New, a template will pop up  asking for  a menu file name.   Since 
       this function creates a DOS file  the field is eight characters in
       length.
       
       ( Open ) if clicked will bring up the Menu Editor screen which  is 
       used  to define and  configure menus.   The columns in this screen 
       are Key, Command, and Access.  On the right side of the editor are 
       the, Edit, INSert, and DELete Keys.  As with  all other menus  the 
       sequence follows the Insert, and then Edit approach.  If you chose 
       a menu like MAIN that comes configured with  RoboBOARD/FX you will 
       be able to see  the relationship between  the Hot key  defined  in 
       FXdraw or labelled in an ANSI editor,  the Menu Commands,  and the 
       Menu Button Access Level. 
       
       { Insert } Menu Command. The insert command will bring up a window 
       listing the available menu commands  which you can scroll  through 
       and choose from.  A menu command must be chosen  before  a key can 
       be assigned to the command using Edit since the Edit templates are 
       command specific.  The following is a list of the  available  menu 
       commands.
       
       
       { Edit }  The Edit command  is used to  complete  the  process  of 
       creating an interface button for your users.  The Edit command can 
       not be detailed since its contents change with every Menu Command.  
       The following is a list of the available menu commands.

       Ŀ 
       List of Menu Commands
        
       
       < #1  Goto Menu >   The  GOTO MENU  command   branches  from   the  
       calling menu to a specified target menu. The menu you specify must 
       have  been  created  using  the  RoboBOARD/FX  menu  editor  found 
       RoboCFG.   In the case of graphical menus  a  Tel-FX  graphic must 
       also exist,  having been created using FXdraw.  If the target menu  
       is intended to be  an ANSI screen then an ANSI graphic must exist, 
       and would probably be created in an  ANSI editor such as  THEDRAW.   
       As SysOp  it is your responsibility  to have a  GOTO MAIN MENU  or 
       GOTO MENU command so people in ANSI mode can enter and exit menus.
        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 42 
       
       
       < #2  Goto Main Menu >  This command is  very similar to the  GOTO 
       MENU command  except that it automatically  returns a user  to the 
       menu named MAIN.  The MAIN menu is a required menu in RoboBOARD/FX 
       and all menus originate from it.
       
       < #3  Log-Off & Show GOODBYE > Log-Off & Show GOODBYE is a command 
       designed to let users terminate their call  in a friendly fashion.  
       This command confirms that the user wants to log-off with a YES/NO 
       dialogue box.   If the user chooses  YES then the Log-Off proceeds 
       and displays the graphic named GOODBYE, at which point it there is 
       a  five second delay  and then  RoboBOARD/FX issues the disconnect
       command.
       
       < #4  Log-Off FAST > The Log-Off FAST command  is very similar  to 
       the Log-Off & Show GOODBYE command except it does not ask the user 
       to confirm that they want to Log-Off.   Log-OFF fast also does not 
       display  the graphic  GOODBYE  before terminating the call.   This 
       command is used if  you are creating  a  custom goodbye menu  that 
       does not use a GOODBYE graphic.
       
       < #5  Self Delete (ZAP) >  The  Self Delete command  will actually 
       allow a user to completely remove themselves from your system,  by 
       having RoboBOARD/FX remove their record from your Userbase.   This 
       command is definitely  not for  every BBS  but  you  may  want  to 
       consider this option  if you run a board  that some users  may not
       feel  comfortable being on  or may not want to be affiliated with.  
       If a user is allowed to self delete  they will not show up in your 
       user lists.  If you are concerned about security remember you will 
       have the LOGFILE information about them.
       
       < #6  Read Messages (Any Area) >  The Read Messages command allows 
       a user to read mail  from any of  the message areas that they have 
       access to.  The user will be given a Lister Window showing all the 
       message areas available to them, which they can scroll through and 
       pick  from.  The  Read Messages command  is  also Forum  sensitive 
       which means the list of  message areas  presented to the user will 
       be access level, access Tag and Forum number filtered.
       
       < #7  Read Messages (Fixed Area) >  The   Read  Messages   command 
       allows the user  to read mail  from a  message area  you  specify.   
       Forums are ignored because  you are choosing the message area  for 
       the  user.   Forums are not  scanned , however  access levels  and 
       access Tags are still enforced.   If  the users access  level  and 
       access Tags do not allow access to the message area, the user will 
       be notified,  and not allowed entry to the message area.
       
       < #8  Write Message (Any Area) >  The Write Message command allows 
       the user to write mail in any of the message areas  they may  have 
       access to.   A Lister Window  will pop up  on the screen  complete 
       with scroller bars  allowing the user to choose  an  area to write
       messages to.  The list of message areas presented to the user will 
       be access level, access tag, and forum  number filtered.
       

        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 43 
       

       < #9  Write Message (Fixed Area) >   The  Write  Message   command 
       allows the user  to write mail  in  a  message area  you  specify.  
       Forums are ignored  because you are choosing the message area  for 
       the  user.   Forums are not  scanned,  however  access levels  and 
       access Tags are still enforced.   If  the  users access level  and 
       access Tags do not allow access to the message area, the user will 
       be notified,  and not allowed entry to the message area.
       
       < #10 Delete Messages >  The delete messages command will scan the 
       entire message base  for messages  that are addressed  to the user 
       and  have  been  received  by  the user.  The user prompted with a 
       YES/NO dialogue window before  RoboBOARD/FX proceeds with deleting 
       the messages.
       
       < #11 List Files (Any Area) >   The List Files command  allows the 
       user to List Files from any of the file areas they may have access 
       to.   A Lister Window  will pop up  on  the screen  complete  with 
       scroller bars  allowing the user  to choose an area  to list files
       from.  The list of file areas presented to the user will be access 
       level, access tag, and forum  number filtered.
       
       < #12 List Files (Fixed Area) >  The List Files command allows the 
       user  to  list  files  from a file  area you specify.   Forums are 
       ignored  because  you  are  choosing  the  file area for the user.  
       Forums are not scanned,  however access levels and access Tags are 
       still enforced.   If the users access level and access Tags do not 
       allow access to the file area, the user will be notified,  and not 
       allowed entry to the file area.
       
       < #13 File Query (Search) >  The  File Query  command  allows  the 
       user to Query Files in any of the file areas  they may have access 
       to  by Wildcard & Date,  Text & Date or by Date.  The  file  areas 
       queried by the user  will be access level,  access tag,  and forum 
       number filtered.
       
       < #14 New Files >  The New Files command is not forum specific, it 
       will list all new files  to the user since their last call.   Like 
       all menu commands, this command is sensitive to access status, and 
       will not list new files from areas the user doesn't have access to
       
       < #15 File Queue Edit >   While listing files  users  are able  to 
       mark up to  10 files for download.   These files  are  Highlighted 
       Yellow on the users screen and  placed in a list called the QUEUE.  
       Users may edit the queue  directly from the download screen,   but
       it is often nice to add the File Queue Edit command to a file menu 
       allowing users to edit the queue  at  anytime  without  having  to 
       enter the download command.
       
       < #16 Download Files >  This command allows the user  to  download 
       the files in their QUEUE. The user also has the option of removing 
       or  adding  files  to  the  queue.    All  files  that  have  been 
       successfully sent  will be removed  from the users file queue.  If 
       the user does not have enough time  for a file it will be skipped. 
       The time spent in the file area is automatically debited.
        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 44 
       
       
       < #17 Download a File >  The  Download a File  command  accepts  a 
       full DOS path to a particular file.   Only the  specified file may 
       be downloaded using this command.   The file specified  here  does 
       not need to be part of any formal file area.
       
       < #18 Upload Files >  The Upload Files command  allows the user to 
       batch upload up to 5 files at a time.   A dialogue window will pop 
       up on the users end allowing them to type in the full  DOS path to 
       each individual file  they want to upload  to your system.   After 
       the  upload  has been  successfully completed  the  user  will  be 
       prompted for descriptions of these files.  Files uploaded by users 
       will be stored in a  temporary directory  until the user logs off.  
       At that point the files will be scanned and moved to the new files 
       directory.   It is up to you  to use the file manager included  in 
       RoboCFG  and  move these scanned files  to a new file  area  after 
       classification and verification. 
       
       < #19 User Settings (USERSET.PLT) >   The  User  Settings  command 
       gives a user access to certain settings about themselves,  such as  
       address and phone numbers.   The personal settings you allow users 
       to change on your system can be changed by editing USERSET.PLT. If 
       you are not familiar with the  RoboBOARD/FX  template  system  you 
       will want to read the Appendix called Templates.
       
       < #20 Page SysOp >  The Page SysOp command allows users to contact 
       you for  Chat or conversation.   This Menu Commands  is an option, 
       but if you want  your users to access you  directly from your  BBS 
       system then this command is what you want.   You have full control 
       over paging hours  using  RoboCFG under System Info on the  System 
       Pulldown  menu.   If a users  clicks a button  that activates this 
       command,  they will be asked  if they want  to page you.  If  they 
       answer YES to page you, your computer will emit a paging sound. It 
       is your choice  to either  enter chat mode  or  ignore  the  users 
       request.
       
       < #21 Leave Comment >   The  Leave Comment  command a utomatically 
       brings up the message editor with the  TO field filled in with the 
       SYSOPS NAME  and  the  SUBJECT  field  is  labelled  COMMENT.  The 
       comment/message  will  be  saved  in  whatever   Message Area  you 
       specify.   The  Message Area is configured  at the time  that  you 
       choose the command in RoboCFG.
       
       < #22 Time Bank >  The Time Bank command allows users to bank part 
       of their daily time for future calls.  This is an optional feature 
       that is configured using the  Global settings  menu found  on  the 
       System Pulldown.
       
       < #23 Display Template >  The Display Template Command  gives  you 
       access to  Custom Templates you create.   Templates can be used to 
       modify or fill in  RoboBOARD/FX  global  variables  if you choose.  
       Templates can also be used to gather statistics, do marketing, and 
       create  questionnaires  which  may  be  used to  create system log 
       files, or output data files to be integrated with other developers 
       database software, or route data to your printer.
        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 45 
       
       
       < #24 List/Search Users >   The  List/Search command  allows  your 
       users  to list  or search  the  user  base.   This command  may be 
       configured to list Real names or Aliases depending on the focus of 
       your system.
       
       < #25 List Calls Today >  The  List Calls Today  command will list 
       the names of all the users who called that day.   This command may 
       be configured to list real names or handles depending on the focus 
       of your system.  The SysOps name will never show up in this list.
       
       < #26 Call Back Verify >  If you allow  Call Back Verification  on 
       your system and a user misses the opportunity to verify or cancels 
       it  during logon,  you can give them  a second chance at the  main 
       menu.  Remember all menus route  from the MAIN.   RoboBOARD/FX has 
       the special ability, of being able to display different  MAIN menu 
       files for the same MAIN menu based on the users access. Using this 
       feature,  if an unverified user gets to the main you can give them 
       the option to verify again  by displaying your lowest access MAIN.  
       If they choose not to verify  they will be exited from your system 
       immediately and if they choose to verify  they will be exited from 
       the system and the Call Back Verifier will call them for Telephone 
       number  and  Password verification.  Call back verification can be 
       set up using RoboCFG under the User Pulldown menu.
       
       < #27 Program ID >   The   Program  ID    command   displays   the 
       RoboBOARD/FX program ID information,   and interesting Stats about 
       your system, such as Total Calls, Daily Calls and SysOps Name.
       
       < #28 Display ASCII File >  The Display ASCII File command  allows 
       your  users  to  read a text file  directly.   A full DOS  path is 
       required  to use  this  command.   The user will be given a Reader 
       Window  and will be able to  scroll  through  the text  or  cancel 
       reading at any point.
       
       < #29 Display Graphic >  The Display Graphic allows a user to view 
       a graphic directly, and is great if you have set up an Art Gallery 
       on your system or you want to display a picture to a client.
       
       < #30 Read Bulletins >   The Read Bulletins command gives the user 
       a list of  bulletins  that  they have access clearance  to view or 
       read.  Bulletins  in RoboBOARD/FX may be either textual or visual. 
       Bulletins are  sensitive to forums,  as well as  access level  and
       access Tags.   The list of  Bulletins presented  to the user  in a 
       Lister Window will be access and forum number filtered.   The user 
       will  be  able  to scroll through  the list and  pick  a Bulletin, 
       graphics bulletins  will be displayed in a graphic window and text 
       bulletins will be displayed in a Reader Window.
       
       < #31 Dos Program (DOOR) > This function is intended to allow your 
       users access to DOS programs designed to run as BBS doors. Special 
       care should be taken when configuring DOORs,  as RoboBOARD/FX  has 
       no control over the system once the door is operational. Doors are 
       usually run through batch files as DOS SHELLs  under RoboBOARD/FX.  
       The BBS itself  will swap out to  less than 3K of memory  allowing 
        
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        The Display Menu Con't  Page 46 
       

       your DOOR  as  much  operating  space  as  possible.  RoboBOARD/FX 
       supports a number of DOOR files formats.   For a complete list see 
       the DOS PROGRAM function.  A fully qualified path and command line 
       to the DOOR  is acceptable.   Here are a few example command lines 
       to demonstrate the way some DOORs  like the  DOOR file  passed  to 
       them:
       
       C:\SAMPLE\TESTDOOR.BAT {NODE}  
       
       or if the door needs a Door file name: 
       
       C:\SAMPLE\TESTDOOR.BAT C:\ROBOFX\DORINFO{NODE}.DEF
       
       Valid command line variables are:
       NODE    - Current Node Number
       FNAME   - First Name
       LNAME   - Last Name
       NAME    - Full Name (this will be passed as two separate fields)
       BAUD    - The modem baud
       LOCK    - The locked baud (this is the one that usually is passed)
       COMM    - The com port
       DEVICE  - (1=UART, 2=FOSSIL, 3=DIGI)
       
       As a further note, intended for new SysOps, it should be mentioned 
       that  when you create a  DOOR  that drops to DOS  and runs a  DOOR 
       program, users will not be able to access your hard drive and your 
       computer system.   DOOR programs  must do  their  own  I/O  (Input 
       Output) so unless the DOOR  is designed specifically to give users 
       access to your computer system they will never access it.
       
       < #32 MultiLine Chat >  This feature allows  your users to partake 
       in multiline chat.  This is popular feature that allows your users 
       to talk to each other even if they are calling  at different modem 
       speeds or are in different video modes.  Users  may also page each 
       other for chat.
       
       < #33 Who is Online >  The Who is Online command allows your users 
       to see who else is online  and what they are doing before entering 
       chat.   The tokens that let users know what  other users are doing 
       on  your system  are kept  very  generic.  ie:  downloading  file, 
       writing message.
       
       Ŀ
        Bullitens Menu 
       
       
       Bulletins in RoboBOARD/FX may be either textual or graphical.  You 
       can add buttons to your menus  that will let users scroll  through 
       listings of the available Bulletins on your system.  The available 
       Bulletins are presented  to the user  in a Lister Window.   If the 
       user picks a graphic bulletin  it will be displayed  in a graphics 
       window and if they pick a  text bulletin it will be displayed in a 
       text reader window.   The maximum length of a text Bulletin is 999 
       lines. In ANSI mode a text based equivalent interface is provided.
        
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        The Bullitens Menu Con't  Page 47 
       
       
       One of the  types of  Bulletin  menu  commands  that  RoboBOARD/FX 
       supports is Forum based.   Forums are used to  separate groups  of 
       users on a BBS  thus limiting  their access  to certain Bulletins.  
       When a user with sufficient access  chooses this type of  Bulletin 
       command  from  a menu,  they will gain access  to  any  Bulletins,  
       defined for that Forum Number.   If a user does not have access to 
       a particular Forum  they will not know  that  Bulletins  have been 
       defined for that Forum.
       
       Ŀ To make managing Bulletins easy, you are given a
       Bulliten Lister scroller   window   to   browse   through   your 
        Bulletins.  You can use your arrow keys or mouse 
       to highlight an individual Bulletin for editing. There is only one 
       column in the bulletin lister for the Bulletins Name.   Along  the 
       right hand side of the Bulletin Editor are the Edit,  Insert,  and 
       Delete  commands   that   all  perform  different   operations  to 
       bullitens.  They are fully described below.
       
       [ Edit ]  Clicking on edit will pop up the Bulletin Edit template.  
       All the  data collected  by  RoboBOARD/FX regarding  Bulletins  is 
       accessible through this template.   From top to bottom  the fields 
       are.
       
       Name.  The Bulletins name.  If  this  field  is not filled  in the 
            template will be considered empty.  
       
       File Name.  This field is eight characters long  since this  field 
            is  for  the  DOS file name.   RoboBOARD/FX  will  supply the 
            extension based on the file type you choose  in the  Bulletin 
            Type field directly below this field.
       
       Bulletin Type.  This is a  roller  button  that rolls through  the 
            possible  file  types.  They  are  Graphical  (Tel-FX),  Text 
            (ASCII), mono ANSI and colour ANSI.
       
       Forum.  The Forum number  that this  Bulletin can be viewed  from, 
            0 (zero) sets it to all forums on the system.
       
       View Access.  The  Access  level  that  the  users  access must be 
            greater than or equal to, in order to view this Bulletin.
       
       View Tags.  The access Tags  that the user is required to have  in 
            order to view this Bulletin.
       
       Display Mode.  The required Display mode  to view  this  Bulletin.  
            This is a roller button  that  rolls  through  the  available 
            choices.  They are Tel-FX, colour ANSI, mono ANSI,  or Tel-FX 
            & ANSI.
       
       [ INSert ] Bulletin:  Clicking on INSert will create an empty user 
       template  directly  above  the  one you have  highlighted  on your 
       screen.  You will then be able to manually fill in the template by 
       picking the Edit button.  
       
        
       Ŀ
        The Bullitens Menu Con't  Page 48 
       

       [ DELete  ] Bulletin:  Clicking  on  DELete  will delete the high-
       lighted Bulletin from the list of configured Bulletins.
       
       [ Quit ] Bulletin Editor:  Clicking on Quit will exit you from the 
       Bulletin Editor.
       
       Ŀ
        The Languages Menu  
       
       
       RoboBOARD/FX  allows you to run your system  as a single language, 
       bilingual or multilingual BBS.  RoboBOARD/FX will install with one 
       Language directory named and templates will be configured for your 
       language as demonstrated in the directory tree below. RoboBOARD/FX 
       is very specific about its directory structure and expects to find 
       data at a specific directory and filename.  By  defining the  USA, 
       Canada, Great Britain and Australia as separate languages  for the 
       purpose of installation we are able  to configure unique telephone 
       templates and postal codes for each of these countries. 
       
       If you have no requirement  for a  multilanguage  system  this  is 
       about as involved as you have to get with language.   You may want 
       to take a look at the Language templates. You will notice that the 
       Main Language is defined as USA and the background  of your screen 
       reads in a light cyan, "Current Language is American".
       
       
       C:\Ŀ                           - Root Directory
            ROBOFX                    - RoboBOARD/FX main working dir
              ROBODATA            - SubDir for config files and
                                        data files
                 CFGRES              - Config Resource Script files
                 FILES               - Files RootDir(configurable)
                     NEWFILES  - NEWFILES dir(configurable)
                 MAIL                  HUDSON MAIL dir(configurable)
                 USA                 - FRENCH LANGUAGE Root Dir
                     GRAPHICS  - Menus and Bulletin pictures for
                                       FRENCH Language
                          MENUS     - Menu Control Files
                          RESOURCE  - Bbs resources for language
                          TEMPLATE  - Input Templates for language
                 FXDRAW              - FXDRAW operating directory
                     ICONS     - FXDRAW ICONS directory.
                 TEMP                - Temp dir(configurable)
            
       

       Ŀ The Language Definition template  allows you 
       Language Definition to configure up to eight languages.   If you
        are only using one language it will probably 
       be configured as American under the heading MAIN.   The  path will 
       be C:\ROBOFX\USA\,  the last back slash is required. 
         

        
       Ŀ
        The Languages Menu Con't  Page 49 
       

       The Language Name field  is used by  RoboBOARD/FX  at the time  of 
       user logon.  If there is more  than  one  entry  in  the  Language 
       Definition template the user will be asked to select  the language 
       of their choice.   It is a very good  idea  to input the  Language 
       Name in the language of the user it is intended for.  ie: English, 
       Franais, Deutsch, Espaol. For every language you define you will
       have to define a DOS path. ie: C:\ROBOFX\USA\  
     
       Ŀ The  change  active  language simply lets
       Change Active Language you   scroll   through   the   configured   
        languages and change the active language.  
       After you select a different Active Language the background of the 
       RoboCFG screen will display your choice.  When you use FXdraw from 
       within RoboCFG  this field will be checked  for its path  and  the 
       screens you create will be placed in the Active Languages Graphics 
       directory.   The same applies for the Menu Editor,  it will  place 
       menu   configuration   files   in   the   correct  language  Menus 
       subdirectory.  Note: Multilanguage configuration is discussed more 
       fully   in   the   Appendix  under   the   heading   Multilanguage 
       Configuration.
       
       Ŀ
        The Nodes Menu  
       
       
       The  nodes menu  is  used to  configure individual nodes  on  your 
       multiline system.   If you are running  RoboBOARD/FX  as a  single 
       line system  this information  is not  important reading  for you.  
       Timed BBS Events  are  also  configured  using the  Nodes Pulldown 
       menu.
       
       Ŀ The change node command pops up a template menu that
       Change Node requires  a number from 1 to 255.    You  only  have  
        access to as many nodes  as you purchased.  This  is 
       noted in the  RoboBOARD/FX End User Licence Agreement  at the back 
       of these DOCs.

       Ŀ The modem configuration template  allows you
       Modem Configuration to set up a  unique modem configuration  for  
        each node.  The commands are as follows.

       IO Device.  This field  is  a  roller button  that  lets you  roll 
            through the  available settings.   The supported devices are: 
            Local (your local logon node or across the LAN node),   UART, 
            Fossil Driver, DigiBOARD XIDOS.

       Baud Rate.   This field is a roller button  that lets roll through 
            the available settings.   The supported bps rates are,  1200, 
            2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600,  and 115200.

       Locked Baud.  This field is a roller button that lets roll through 
            the available settings. The supported locked rates are,   Not 
            Locked,  1200,  2400,  4800,  9600,   19200,  38400,   57600,  
            and 115200.
        
       Ŀ
        The Nodes Menu Con't  Page 50 
       

       IO Port.  The I/O port your serial device is on.

       Init String (1-3).  Three  strings  you  can  configure  for Modem 
            Initiation.

       Answer String.  Your Modems Answer String.

       Busy String. Your Modems Busy String.

       Hang Up String. Your Modems Hang Up String.

       Dial String. Your Modems Dial String.

       Ŀ Node settings allows you to set up different nodes 
       Node Settings for different groups, set up a node as private, or
        simply  set  a  node  up  for  general use.   Node 
       Settings set  security and graphics support  for different  nodes.  
       You might have Tel-FX & ANSI  users calling a node at 2400 baud on 
       one node  and  have your  fast  system  set up for  14400  callers 
       showing Graphics only.  From top to bottom the fields are:

       Access for Logon. This  is  the  required  Access Level  or Access 
            Profile a user must have to logon to this node.

       Tags for Logon.  These are the required  Access Tags  a user  must 
            have to logon to this node.

       Graphics Support. This field is a roller button that lets you roll 
            through the available settings.  The  available  options  are 
            Tel-FX & ANSI, ANSI Only, or Tel-FX Only.

       Minimum Speed. This is the minimum speed a user must be calling at 
            to gain access to this node.

       Allow CBV.  You can turn on  Call Back Verification  on a per node 
            basis using this toggle switch.


       Ŀ
        Events  
       

       Often while running a bbs you will need to do some kind of regular 
       (perhaps daily) maintenance. This is particularly necessary if you 
       run online doors, or need to do some kind of external operation at 
       a  certain  time  every  day (or on specific days).   RoboBOARD/FX 
       provides the ability  to define any number of external events  per 
       node,  and at the  same time provide  full hour  and day  of  week 
       control configuration for each event.
       
       Settings  for  EVENT  management  can be  found  under  the  NODES 
       pulldown of ROBOCFG.   Typically an event need only  be run from a 
       single node  so it is likely  that you will never  configure  more 
       than one list of events.  When RoboBOARD/FX  is answering calls by 
        
       Ŀ
        The Events Menu Con't  Page 51 
       

       itself, it will monitor pending events.  When  an  event  is  due,  
       RoboBOARD/FX  will  return  control  to  DOS,   exiting  with  the 
       ERRORLEVEL you specify.
       
       RoboBOARD  will  also  shorten  a users time limits to maintain an 
       events timing  as closely  as it can.   If  you  run  an  external 
       answering program,  you must specify your events  in that  program 
       instead.   When  RoboBOARD/FX  is  under  the  control  of  a call 
       monitoring program or front end,  it has no ability to drop to DOS 
       at specific times,  but  can still  adjust user time  accordingly. 
       Some mailers may have the ability  to pass  the number of  minutes 
       before  an event  to  RoboBOARD  via the  -EVENT ##  command  line 
       option.  If  this  is  the  case  you  do not  have  to  configure 
       RoboBOARD/FX to handle any events.
       
       The following fields are configurable for any events you define:
       
       EVENT NAME.  The event name field is strictly for your descriptive 
            purposes,  and will  (if it is the next event) display within 
            the RoboBOARD/FX answering screen.
       
       DOS ERROR LEVEL.  This is the  ERRORLEVEL RoboBOARD/FX  will  exit
            to DOS with when the current event has been triggered.  Valid 
            values are between 10 and 255.   Values below 10 are reserved 
            for use by RoboBOARD/FX.
       
       DAY OF WEEK.   This set of toggles will let you specify the day(s) 
            of the week that this event should run.
       
       HOUR OF DAY.  This will let you specify the hour of the day (in 24 
            hour format) that your event should be triggered.  Only while 
            hours are supported.
       
