                  List of new features since QBOX 1.14
                  ------------------------------------


*IMPORTANT* !
-------------
Since this version of QBOX supports more message- and file areas (up to 256 as
opposed to 32 in 1.14), the format of the USERS_BBS file is not entirely 
backwards compatible. The distribution ZIP archive includes a conversion 
program CVTUSER which, when EXECed, will convert the format. Please refer to
the README_NOW file included within the archive.

Enough said on that for now, let's move on to the list of new features (which
will probably be incomplete):

- Up to 256 message- and file areas are now supported rather than 32. In order
  to implement this, a change has been made to the USERS_BBS structure. The
  fields US_MACCS and US_FACCS no longer specify access of each user to
  INDIVIDUAL message- and file areas, but to GROUPS of message- and file areas.
  In addition, the "lastread" message pointer is no longer kept in the last 32
  bytes of each USERS_BBS record, but in a separate file, LASTREAD_BBS, which
  holds the lastread pointers for each user in parallel with USERS_BBS. Each
  record of LASTREAD_BBS is 512 bytes (256*2) long. Although current versions
  of QBOX only allow a maximum of 255 messages per area, LASTREAD_BBS uses two
  bytes to store a lastread pointer so that a format conversion will not be
  needed in the near future.
  The new mechanism of message- and file area groups is explained further in
  the README_NOW file.

- Network Mail is now fully supported. When entering a message in the
  NetMail area, you are not only prompted for the user name but also for the
  Network address, in the form <zone>:<net>/<node>.<point>. A "short" form is
  allowed where the zone, net or node number may be left off, in case of which
  your own zone, net or node number is assumed. For instance if you are node
  2:283/500, then the following short forms will be expanded as follows:

  .1      will be expanded to 2:283/500.1
  501     will be expanded to 2:283/501.0
  250/121 will be expanded to 2:250/121.0

  When Replying to a message in the network mail area, QBOX will by default
  take the network address of the originator of the message being replied to as
  destination address. While entering a message in the NetMail area, the
  destination address may be changed with the editor "To" command.
  To export a NetMail message into a mail packet, you need a utility such as 
  PACKMSG.

- When QBOX is started up with "-Local" or "-L" in the command string, only a
  local copy is started up. This is useful if you want to do a local logon
  without having to go through the sysop panel. A working QSPIL driver is also
  not needed then.

- QBOX now simultaneously logs to the screen window and a file. Two log files
  can be specified in QBOXCONFIG; one for the "online" node and one for the
  "local" node. I strongly recommend you to use a RAMdisk; other devices tend
  to disable interrupt at certain times which may upset serial I/O.
  The log files are automatically created if non-existent; if existent the new
  log will be appended. A log file can only be used by one node; for instance
  you cannot use the same "local" log file by 2 local copies at the same time.

- The log file format has been changed drastically. On start-up, QBOX writes
  an identification line consisting of dashes followed by the current date,
  followed by a comma, followed by the program name. Subsequent lines have the
  format "<tag><sp><hh>:<mm>:<ss><sp><sp><text>", where <tag> is a single
  character identifying the type of log entry (currently most messages are
  tagged with a space, however the characters "?" and "!" are currently used
  for non-fatal and fatal errors).
  A log file example:

  ----------  Sun 10 Feb 1991, QBOX
    02:34:56  Entering message
  ? 02:40:45  I/O Error file win1_QBOX_MSG01_MESSAGES_BBS: drive full
    02:40:46  Main menu

- Information on the user currently online is now shown in sysop window.

- Attempting chat mode while QBOX is waiting for a call no longer causes a
  lock-up.

- The sysop windows may now be redrawn by pressing F5.

- Invalid commands in menus are now ignored to increase immunity to line noise.

- Checking of user name syntax has been relaxed; names may now consist of more
  than two words and any printable ASCII characters are allowed.

- DISGRACE level users can no longer enter messages, except a private message
  to the sysop when logging off (new feature!).

- The sysop's actual name can be configured into QBOX. Entering "Sysop" in the
  TO: field of a message will redirect it to the sysop's name.

- The message buffer size can be configured between 8K and 32K bytes. Default
  is 32K; you should generally leave this alone unless you are cramped with
  memory. Also, QBOX will no longer choke on messages which don't fit into the
  buffer, but will display a "Message too large" message.

- Checking on ^C/^K and ^S has been improved. The keys "P" and "S" may now also
  be used to pause respectively stop output, for users who are used to
  QuickBBS/RemoteAccess BB systems etc.

- Upload drive space and sysop Dir command now take into account the extended
  medium info QDOS trap present in V2 drivers (such as the Miracle harddisk).

- Users are no longer allowed to change their name unless they have level
  COSYSOP or higher.

- The logon procedure has been changed. QBOX will immediately accept the name
  entered and scan the user file. If not found, the file NOTFOUND_BBS is 
  displayed to the user (or a default message if not present). After that, the
  user is asked confirmation for the name entered. The file NEWLOG_BBS is then
  displayed if the user confirms YES.

- QBOX now also displays the date and time a message has been "received" (i.e.
  read for the first time by the addressee). This only applies though to
  messages not already marked as received by earlier QBOX versions.
  The date and time of receipt is stored at offset 28 dec in the message
  header. Earlier versions used this field to store the date/time of last
  modification, which QBOX 1.19 no longer does.
  In the Network Mail area, this field indicates the date and time the message
  has been sent. It's up to the mail packer to set this field accordingly.

- The "Update message" command can now only be used by users with level EXTRA
  or higher. It is now also possible to modify a message not from yourself. 
  Gerenally it is not polite to do so but it may be required in some cases. 
  Extra lines will be inserted into the message text indicating the original 
  message date and user who updated the message.

- The Mail section [K]ill command has been renamed [D]elete.

- A new Mail section [K]ludge command has been added (only available to users
  with level EXTRA or higher). This toggles displaying of hidden control lines
  in the message text, as well as Echomail SEEN-BY lines.
  Kludge lines (marked by a CTRL-A character) are displayed with a "@"
  character in front of them.

- When replying to a message and quoting the original, QBOX no longer quotes
  the tear- and origin lines in EchoMail messages. If, however, the kludge
  display has been turned on by the [K]ludge command (only level EXTRA or
  above), the tear- and origin line will be quoted as before. Note that you
  should take great care when quoting then, since not only tear- and origin
  lines will be quoted but also kludge- and SEEN-BY lines. You should at least
  avoid quoting SEEN-BY lines, since they may upset some mail processing
  software when appearing in the message text.

- QBOX now supports the MSGID and REPLY kludge lines. These are used to
  identify a message across mail networks, for reply linking and duplicate
  checking purposes. The format of a MSGID kludge is:

  MSGID: <address> <unique_number>

  where <address> is the network address (zone:net/node.point) and
  <unique_number> is an 8-digit hexadecimal number which must be unique for the
  given address. QBOX derives this number from the system clock (shifted left 4
  bits) and a 4-bit counter.
  The REPLY kludge has as its parameter the MSGID parameter of the message
  replied to.

- The "Local" attribute bit of entered messages is now correctly set, enabling 
  the SCANMAIL -NOFORWARD option to work correctly at last.

- There is now an "inactivity timeout" of 3 minutes, after which the user will
  automatically be logged off.

