BOARD.TXT Instructions for use of the Tenny Electronic Bulletin Board Revised 2/1/83 by rt The BOARD program provides UNIX-like MAIL facilities and was originally used on an RT-11 system running CTS-300. This version is slightly modified to run under VAX/VMS. All code is in DIBOL, and uses the INCLUDE compiler directive. To get the 'BOARD' running proceed as follows: 1-edit the BOARD.COM command file and modify it to your operating system and directories, then type @BOARD to create the subroutine library XLIB and the runnable images of the four programs: BOARD, BOARSC, ISMFIX and BRDUPD. If using a VAX only the directories will need to be modified. 2-create BOARD.ISM using the parameters in BOARD.FDL and the file BOARD.SEQ (this is a sample sequential file). If on a non-VAX system you will have to hand create with the ISAM utility provided for your system. 3-edit the BOARD.FIL which is a listing of all potential BOARD users. Use the sample provided as a reference noting that the max. record length is 30 char. The layout of the file is in order by the users terminal assignment first, then all non-terminal users go at the end if they have access to a terminal to login and get their mail, but who are not regularly assigned to a CRT. Therefore the first entry should be the console terminal, the next should be terminal 1 etc. with the balance of the employees without permanent terminals at the end of the file. 4-run BOARD to test the system using password 'DIBOL' for access to the RON account. The instructions are self explanatory. 5-run BOARSC maint. program to modify the file as needed after becoming familiar with the total scope of the system. See operation inst. below. 6-ISMFIX is provided to make the file sequential if desired. 7-BRDUPD is provided to allow the old messages to be auto-purged. It is suggested that this program be put in an after hours batch stream. 8-if problems call me, AFTER you have read the code thouroughly!! ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARD HIGHLIGHTS ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARD is a simple to use utility that can be quickly configured to match the requirements of any business and provides many features that some high priced mail packages don't (besides the price is right!). A word about group authorizations will help you properly set up your user accounts. There are 6 groups with decending authority as follows: (These groupings can easily be changed by a simple modification of the code, but we suggest you use the BOARD to get the feel for the features before modifying these codes) Code Description Clearance OWN owner, top priviledge 1 MGR manager, second priviledge 2 SLS sales, third priviledge 3 OFC office, fourth priviledge 4 WAR warehouse, fifth priviledge 5 ALL general priviledge for all 6 Now lets use the BOARSC maintance program to create a test account, (start it running as we walk you through it): At the maintenance program prompt TYPE enter 'A' for add mode. For example lets assume a sales manager named Jack A. Smith is being added to the system. Type in 'JAS' as the key and the screen will clear and then type in 'JAS' again for the private name code entry. His description could be Jack A. Jones Sales manager, and his clearance would be 2, so that he could read all group mail except the owners. Now you have to decide what groups he would be allowed to read mail from. He cannot read the Owners mail because his clearance is not high enough so even if you load OWN as a group priviledge he can't read the owners mail. You would load MGR priviledge since he is a manager, and SLS priviledge also. You may not want to bother him with having to read OFC and WAR group mail so they would be left blank and finially everyone should be given ALL privilege so that they can read general message announcements. Next you can select the program that JAS will exit to when he gets out of the BOARD and it might logically be a program called SLSANL for example. Note that when adding Group accounts this can be left blank by hitting a right arrow. Lastly you add a password for the user that is any alpha/numeric character up to 6 char. in length. Note that when adding Group accounts this can be left blank by hitting a right arrow. Now the final thing to do is to edit the BOARD.FIL and add the user to the name table. The location of his code in this table is critical and depends on their terminal number, if he has one. If not then put their entry at the end of the file. Since You have the have control over this area we highly recomment that you 'squirel' this program (BOARSC) away or set its protection code such that no one can get at the codes and passwords except the system manager! ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARD operates in four (4) modes: ------- Mode 1: Send messages to a group of users or an individual BOARD displays the groups that are available to recieve mail, or mail can be sent to "ALL" which will direct mail to everyone, regardless of priority. They can also direct mail to another individual user. If this option is selected a check is made to see if it is a valid ID code (usually the persons initials). If a group is selected then the user selects the days that his message is to read before the BRDUPD program (which should be automated to run after-hours) auto deletes it. When sending mail to an individual, 99 days is the default so that no messages are auto deleted before being read. From here the user is shown line 1 and types a line of text up to 60 char. long and hits the c/r. At his point they are presented with line 2 and this repeats for 8 lines or a total message of 480 characters. If more room is needed just repeat the process and write out another message record. They are kept in Group, date and time order so each message will logically follow the next. ------- Mode 2: Review messages sent to the user BOARD reads the BOARD.ISM file and displays the messages that follow the 'ALL' group heading. This heading is required no matter how much you modify the rest of the group names. Then the file is scanned to read the next group and a check is made to see it the user is authorized to read that groups mail. If he is then all messages are displayed, one at a time. If not then the file is scanned till the next group is reached, and the check process repeats. After all groups are displayed that are authorized for, then the users private mail box is checked for mail. After each message is reviewed, a prompt line asks the operator to take one of the following options is desired: E = END the review process and immediately goes to the BOARD's menu choices Q = QUIT the program and exits to the user defined chain program P = PRINT the displayed message on the selected printer S = SKIP the following messages for this group and go to next group C/R continues the reading of the next messages Note: if the user is reading their own private messages then the SKIP option is replaced with the 'K' option which can be used to KILL (delete) the message. ------- Mode 3: Review/Delete messages the user has sent This feature allow the user to review and/or delete any messages they have sent to any group or individual. The message displays the sender, the receiver, the date and time sent. If the user desires to delete the record a 'Y' is typed in response to the question and the message is deleted immediately. ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARSC MAINTENANCE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARSC is a standardized maintenance program that uses a parameter file located if the FIL directory called BOARD.SCR to paint the screen and accept input used to create, modify and/or delete entries in the group or user accounts of the BOARD.ISM file. Data validation is also done with the parameter file. When running the program you type in A, C, I, or D (for add,change,inquire or delete) for the TYPE prompt. Then for the KEY prompt you put the name of an account for eg: RON. Since this is an approx key the system will alert you and ask for a c/r since the full key is 'RON**************'. The record will load into the screen for maintenance or deletion. Note that the same screen is used for user accounts and group accounts, there is NO difference between the two except that user accounts should have a password and a chain program name and of course the group accounts don't. You can bypass these fields when adding groups by hitting the right arrow. The utility is arrow driven so that when the cursor is in the FIELD prompt an uparrow will process changes or add a new record. Another uparrow will allow a change at the TYPE prompt and another uparrow will end the program. While in the Change TYPE, with the prompt at FIELD, you may hit a right arrow and the current record will be written out, and the next record after it will be scanned to and displayed. This is a quick way to make mass changes to all records one after another ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ISMFIX HIGHLIGHTS ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ISMFIX allows any ISAM file listed in its record def. to be read and to create a sequential file. There are some assumptions about file directory location so before using, make the necessary code changes to match your system. ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BRDUPD HIGHLIGHTS ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BRDUPD is a program that checks the days each message was to run against its creation date to see if its time has exprired. When it has then it is deleted from the BOARD.ISM file. This should be placed into a batch stream running after hours so that it won't interrupt and users of the BOARD. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MISC. NOTES ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- While this program is not unique or elegant is does provide a nice little inter-company message utility and our staff of 15 have learned it quickly and use it for EVERYTHING!! Any suggestions for improvement would be appreciated and can be sent to the author: Ron Tenny, Pres G. W. Tenny Co., Co.,Inc. 3721 Scottsville Road Scottsville, New York 14546 (716)-889-1391 end of text..