home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Program Description
-
- BBSee is a program designed to help people who use computer BBS
- file libraries, easily find the files they have access to. The
- heart of the program is a database of the filelists obtained from
- the BBS'es and online services you use. Using this database,
- BBSee will help you manage files that you obtain from these
- services, through simple file cataloging operations.
-
- The four principle functions in BBSee are;
-
- 1. The file import function which allows you to bring file list
- and description files into the database from most popular
- BBS'es. This database file will normally be smaller than
- your original BBS list and can be configured to meet
- personal database preferences.
-
- 2. The fast and powerful search function which enables you to
- locate files from up to 15 BBS lists, and your own floppies
- in one search. This search can be an instantaneous filename
- search, or a complex but quick multi-word search.
-
- 3. The floppy catalog function with capabilities designed to
- help manage your archive files on floppies, with a minimum
- amount of time and effort.
-
- 4. An interface to many automated BBS programs and scripts (eg.
- QMM, Liberator, CatCalls, Telix Square, Intellicomm),
- allowing you to tag files for up/and download, and create
- the files required by these excellent programs.
-
- Quick Start.
-
- To get BBSee up-and-running, without delving into the
- documentation, the following exercise will present you with a
- very simple demonstration of the basic operations available in
- BBSee.
-
- To run this exercise, first create a directory for your test
- purposes. Change into this directory and extract all the files
- from the BBSee archive into it, which you know how to do if you
- are reading this documentation.
-
- Now for the hard part, BBSee's setup. This is done using the
- program BBSETUP.EXE. This program will create a file BBSEE.CFG
- which contains all the information needed to create a personal
- BBSee master database. For the purposes of this test all that
- you need to do is run BBSETUP at the DOS prompt,(in the temporary
- directory), and then type B (to get the BBS/Source option). You
- will then be asked for the names of the BBS that you plan to
- include in your BBSee database, in the order that you think you
- will use them. If you only use one BBS simply replace Synapse
- with the name of that BBS.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- To the right of the BBS name is a field which contains the BBS
- format. If you know you use a PCBoard BBS, type PCB in this
- field. If you don't know, type AUT, in the first field and 1N in
- the additional BBS option field. These options should cover most
- BBS types. For the purpose of this demo, you can leave it simply
- as Synapse if you wish, as the sample file is a PCBoard file.
-
- After you have completed this screen, (NOTE you can hit <Esc> to
- cancel, or <Ctrl Enter> to complete ANY screen in BBSetup or in
- BBSee), type E to exit BBSetup. When prompted, hit <Enter> to
- confirm modification of the configuration file, and you will be
- returned to DOS.
-
- Now you are ready to run BBSEE.EXE. From the DOS prompt, type
- BBSEE. The main menu of BBSee will be displayed, but since you
- have no data the first time through, there is very little you can
- look at. Lets get some data.
-
- Supplied with BBSee is a very small file list, called SAMPLE.
- BBSee works using pulldown menus, and options are selected by
- either scrolling to the desired option and hitting <Enter>, or by
- typing a highlighted character. Now that you know this, select
- the File option. Under this option is the Import feature, select
- this, and when prompted for a filename type SAMPLE (to use our
- sample file) and select one of the BBS'es that you have
- configured using the up and down cursor arrow keys. A final
- <Enter> is required to select the BBS.
-
- Shortly thereafter, your import will be complete and you will be
- able to explore description information using the search options.
- To get out of a pulldown menu you can either move to the next one
- with the cursor left and right keys, or you can close the menu by
- hitting <Esc>. Go to the Search option. Using the Search Word
- or Filename options you should be able to find all the files that
- you imported. I won't go into details on the search, but try the
- online help when you need it. <F1> will open help, <Esc> will
- close it.
-
- In 'playing' with the word search, you may notice that filenames
- are sometimes displayed without an extension. To get more
- detailed information, type V to view the files details, <Alt-L>
- will lock on this detail view window. In the filename search you
- can use page up and down keys to browse through the list. The
- filename will always act like DOS's * wildcard has been appended
- to your selection, with the exception that it will place you to
- the file alphabetically closest (and after) the file you select.
- Hitting <Enter> on the blank filename will position you at the
- top of the database.
-
- Now that you have used the Import and Search features, lets
- catalog a floppy. Place a diskette, with some files on it into a
- floppy drive, and choose the Catalog option on BBSee's main menu.
- Under this option, select the Catalog floppy option and follow
- the prompts, to catalog the floppy. If you don't have a DOS
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- label on your disk you will need to enter one, using the Label
- floppy option on this pulldown menu, and then try to catalog the
- floppy again.
-
- At this point you can go back and search the database for the
- filenames on the disk, if you wish. You won't see a helpful
- description because the database is not that big. BUT, once you
- begin importing file lists, you will find that descriptions of
- your downloaded files will soon help point you directly to most
- of your archived files, without needing to type in anything.
-
- After completing the above steps you will basically know how to
- use BBSee. You probably will have figured out that to leave
- BBSee you use the Quit option! But I strongly recommend that you
- read the documentation, especially the section on setup. BBSee
- has many features, which you skipped over in this very brief
- introduction. One of these features involves placing
- restrictions on which file description get entered into your
- database. The process which you just went through used
- particular custom restrictions, which don't allow many graphic or
- sound file descriptions to be imported. Many of you use BBS'es
- to get these files and will need to change the restrictions.
-
- In BBSetup, check out and change the various options that have
- been placed in as examples, to ones that better suit your needs.
- This process will take a bit of fine-tuning, but it really is to
- your advantage to not allow all file descriptions into the
- database. As the database grows and grows, you will find it will
- become harder to take things out.
-
- Oh yes, you should also delete all the files that you made in the
- above steps and start again with your own BBS file lists. Unless
- you are on Synapse BBS, your database will be inaccurate from its
- beginning.
-