official void documentation

by irrational

01/16/98

哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪
- VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD -
哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪

﨎BS 蘒nternet Email

Insurrection Alpha irrational@most-wanted.com
905-ASK-SUM1 (specify topic of email)
Irrational (and who you are)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table Of Contents - By Section
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents Section

Legal notice and license ..................... i
What is Void? ................................ ii
What's Functioning, What's Not ............... iii
Preface ...................................... 1
Minimum Hardware Requirements .............. 1.1
Software Requirements ...................... 1.2
Recommended Equipment and Software ......... 1.3
Acknowledgements ............................. 2
Source Code .................................. 3
Installation ................................. 4
The Main Distribution Archive .............. 4.1
Installation ............................... 4.2
Message Command Interpreters ................. 5
Pipe Code System ........................... 5.1
Screen control codes ..................... 5.1.1
Number Color Codes ....................... 5.1.2
Percent Code System ........................ 5.2
.......................................... 5.2.1

Ascii Chart .................................. Appendix A
Ansi Escape Codes ............................ Appendix B
Runtime Errors ............................... Appendix C
DOS Errors ................................. Appendix C.1
I/O Errors ................................. Appendix C.2
Critical Errors ............................ Appendix C.3
Fatal Errors ............................... Appendix C.4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section i] Legal notice and license
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The VOiD Bulletin Board Software and information attached hereto,
hereafter referred to as VOiD, is copyright 1997 by the VOiD Development
Team [VDT].

VOiD BBS software is considered freeware and is free of charge for non
commercial use. Unauthorized selling, distribution or publication without
written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Any alteration
of included files except for configuration files is strictly prohibited.

VOiD may NOT be modified in any form, for any reason, including but not
limited to, decompiling, disassembling, or reverse engineering of this
program.

If a user has been caught doing any modifying the original software, you
you will be persecuted upon discovery, and will suffer the consequences
of you're mistakes. This software has been bound by the copyright laws,
and any copy not in the original form will be destroyed if at all
possible.

You may freely distribute and copy VOiD BBS software provided that you do
not alter the original archive as produced by VDT, and that no money is
charged for it.

VOiD BBS software is 100% cripplefree. If you like the program and decide
to run it, how about showing your gratitude for all the hard work we have
put into this program!

Neither VDT or any of the members can be held responsible for ANY damages
caused by VOiD BBS software or any of our other productions. You are
using them at your own risk.

Lastly, VOiD is ALPHA SOFTWARE! This means that old versions may no
longer be supported at ANY GIVEN TIME. We try to include conversion
programs (if needed) with each new version of VOiD; but we don't save
them from old versions. Beta software also means versions are released
with bugs, but hopefully the features outweigh them (and we attempt to
keep bugs to a minimum).

All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners, even
if not acknowledged. No infringements are intended.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section ii] What is Void?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Void Bulletin Board System package was programmed as a hobby of
mine (Irrational). It is a well programmed package written and compiled
using the Turbo Pascal v7.0 compiler by Borland International.

Since it had began, it has grown significantly. Hopefully, when this
software is released in a standard version, people will create third
party software to support the Void BBS package.

This package is very stable, and can only be configured by external
utilities. This makes it almost impossible for a hacker to modify your
data files, unless you have a menu command to execute the utility. Even
through this way, you will still need to enter your SysOp password to get
access to the functions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section iii] What's Functioning, What's Not
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Void BBS package is in it's very preliminary stages, therefore the
package may be lacking features.

Here's a short list of what's functioning.

* MCI Codes
* Menu System
* Ansi Parser
* Oneliners
* Configurable strings
* PCBoard colour codes
* Time Bank

What's not functioning.

* File system
* Message system
* Dropfiles
* YOU suggest something!

What will not be implemented.

* IEMSI. It can be useful, but can be dangerous
* User number logons. A BIG hassle if the datafile is packed.
* Internal Telnet stuff. Just use a free telnet server thing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section 1] Preface
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Void BBS is a well programmed BBS package fully written by Irrational.
This software is not only unique, but you can also configure this to
your heart's content.

1.1 Minimum Hardware Requirements

- 80286 or above
- Hard disk drive with at least 2 megabytes free
- 512K of free memory
- EGA or VGA colour monitor
- Modem (300bps or greater)

1.2 Software Requirements

- MS-DOS v3.2+ or compatible
- A FOSSIL driver such as X00 or BNU

1.3 Recommended Equipment and Software

- 80486 or above for multinode usage
- A 14400bps modem or greater
- 10 megabytes or more of free space
- Archive utilities (minimum of PKZIP/PKUNZIP)
- An external X/Y/Zmodem protocol driver such as CE-XYZ
- A front-end mailer (such as FrontDoor or InterMail)
- AcidDraw, an ANSI drawing program
- EMS/XMS memory for overlays and memory image swapping
- A dedicated phone line

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section 2] Acknowledgements
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greets go out to all the people that made this BBS package possible:

Alan Caruana/IceSoft Software
- Provided an excellent ANSI parser.

Ralf Brown
- Provided modern swapping routines!

SWAG
- For some source snippets.

and everyone else I forgot to mention ... (sorry!)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section 3] Source Code
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The authors of this BBS package will not give the source code to any-
one, under any circumstances. We are not going to make the same mistake
as many BBS authors have.

The records for this BBS package will be released, so people can wri-
te utilities.

Look for them under this filename format: VOIDDxxx.zip
where xxx corresponds to the version number.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section 4] Installation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Included in the package are several files. This document will walk
you through the installation process. All pathnames and directories sug-
gested here are not required. You can change them as you wish, but the
examples here will remain constant. In the examples, it will be assumed
that you will install Void on drive C.

4.1 The Main Distribution Archive

Unzip the main distribution archive into the directory you wish to
run your BBS from (this is "main BBS directory" you decided on
earlier. ie: "C:\BBS"). Read any included files in the main BBS
archive, and follow any last minute instructions. The main
distribution archive often contains a few other files.

VOIDINIT.EXE - Initialization program. This program will install
Void which includes creating directories and data files.

Other DOC/TXT/NFO files - Miscellaneous information about Void.

Always look over the included files, but when you are creating a new
BBS, you shouldn't need to run any conversions (unless any last
minute notes specifically address new systems).

4.2 Installation

Run the VOIDINIT program. Follow all the on-screen prompts and
directions. You can select any directory names you want, but we'll
use the following for examples (all under C:\BBS):

...\ANSI - Text and *.ANS files
...\DATA - Void's main data file directory
...\MENU - Void's configurable menu directory
...\SWAP - Void's swap directory

Your Void BBS should now be operational. You should keep the program
VOIDINIT because it can be a file recreation utility for corrupt
status files.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[section 5] MCI (Message Command Interpreters)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCI codes are the perfect way to display a user's information from a
text file or if you just want to change colours. They can be used in
many ways to spice up your board, or just make the perfect touch of
customization. MCI is a powerful system that allows you to display
system and user information in prompts, command lines, and text
messages.

5.1 Pipe Code System

The pipe codes mainly deal with the display and colors. These codes
don't generate information and usually will perform some type of
function. Available throughout the BBS, the codes are entered with
a pipe ("|") followed by a 2 character code.

5.1.1 Screen control codes

5.1.2 Number Color Codes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[appendix a] Ascii Chart
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

People have asked for a quick ASCII Chart. Here it is. To type the
codes in, press ALT, then enter the code (ASCII Number) below on the
Numeric Keypad, then release ALT. Characters 0 through 31 have been
X'ed out to prevent the re-formating of the document while being
printed.

000: X 027: X 054: 6 081: Q 108: l 135: � 162: � 189: � 216: � 243: �
001: X 028: X 055: 7 082: R 109: m 136: � 163: � 190: � 217: � 244: �
002: X 029: X 056: 8 083: S 110: n 137: � 164: � 191: � 218: � 245: �
003: X 030: X 057: 9 084: T 111: o 138: � 165: � 192: � 219: � 246: �
004: X 031: X 058: : 085: U 112: p 139: � 166: � 193: � 220: � 247: �
005: X 032: 059: ; 086: V 113: q 140: � 167: � 194: � 221: � 248: �
006: X 033: ! 060: < 087: W 114: r 141: � 168: � 195: � 222: � 249: �
007: X 034: " 061: = 088: X 115: s 142: � 169: � 196: � 223: � 250: �
008: X 035: # 062: > 089: Y 116: t 143: � 170: � 197: � 224: � 251: �
009: X 036: $ 063: ? 090: Z 117: u 144: � 171: � 198: � 225: � 252: �
010: X 037: % 064: @ 091: [ 118: v 145: � 172: � 199: � 226: � 253: �
011: X 038: & 065: A 092: \ 119: w 146: � 173: � 200: � 227: � 254: �
012: X 039: ' 066: B 093: ] 120: x 147: � 174: � 201: � 228: � 255:
013: X 040: ( 067: C 094: ^ 121: y 148: � 175: � 202: � 229: �
014: X 041: ) 068: D 095: _ 122: z 149: � 176: � 203: � 230: �
015: X 042: * 069: E 096: ` 123: { 150: � 177: � 204: � 231: �
016: X 043: + 070: F 097: a 124: | 151: � 178: � 205: � 232: �
017: X 044: , 071: G 098: b 125: } 152: � 179: � 206: � 233:
018: X 045: - 072: H 099: c 126: ~ 153: � 180: � 207: � 234: �
019: X 046: . 073: I 100: d 127: 154: � 181: � 208: � 235: �
020: X 047: / 074: J 101: e 128: € 155: � 182: � 209: � 236: �
021: X 048: 0 075: K 102: f 129: � 156: � 183: � 210: � 237: �
022: X 049: 1 076: L 103: g 130: � 157: � 184: � 211: � 238: �
023: X 050: 2 077: M 104: h 131: � 158: � 185: � 212: � 239: �
024: X 051: 3 078: N 105: i 132: � 159: � 186: � 213: � 240: �
025: X 052: 4 079: O 106: j 133: � 160: � 187: � 214: � 241: �
026: X 053: 5 080: P 107: k 134: � 161: � 188: � 215: � 242: �

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[appendix b] Ansi Escape Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Using ANSI.SYS or another ANSI driver, the screen display colors and
cursor movement can be controlled through the use of ANSI escape
sequences. The format of an ANSI escape sequence is <esc> (alt-27)
followed by a left bracket. The <esc>[ is then followed by one or a
series of characters denoting the desired function.

The following is a list of most commonly used ANSI escape sequences used
for cursor and screen manipulation, where <esc> is the escape character.
These commands are case sensitive.

<esc>[y;xf Both of these commands will move the cursor to x,y,
<esc>[y;xH where x is the column number and y is the line

<esc>[#A This command will move the cursor up # lines.

<esc>[#B This command will move the cursor down # lines.

<esc>[#C This command will move the cursor right # columns.

<esc>[#D This command will move the cursor left # columns.

<esc>[s This command will save the current cursor position.

<esc>[u This command will restore the cursor position saved
using the <esc>[s command.

<esc>[K This command will clear to the end of the line using
the current text attribute colors.

<esc>[#m This command will control the screen text attribute
<esc>[#;#;#m colors. Each # is a separate m command, and many m
commands many be "stacked" by separating them with a
semicolon. The following are available commands:

0 All attributes off (light grey on black)
1 Bold on (ie: dark blue would become light blue,
brown would become yellow, black would become
dark grey, etc.)
4 Underscore (monochrome display adapters only)
5 Blinking on
7 Reverse video on
8 Concealed on

Foreground colors
30 Black (w/bold: Dark Grey)
31 Red (w/bold: Light Red)
32 Green (w/bold: Light Green)
33 Brown (w/bold: Yellow)
34 Blue (w/bold: Light Blue)
35 Magenta (w/bold: Light Magenta)
36 Cyan (w/bold: Light Cyan)
37 Light Grey (w/bold: White)

Background colors
40 Black
41 Red
42 Green
43 Yellow
44 Blue
45 Magenta
46 Cyan
47 White

Parameters 30 through 47 meet the ISO 6429 standard.

<esc>[2J This command will clear the screen using the current
text attribute colors and move the cursor to 1,1.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[appendix c] Run-Time Errors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Certain errors during the execution can cause Void to exit back to
DOS. Whenever a run-time error occurs, it is usually a bug in Void.
Void is not supposed to have run-time errors occurring, but certain
external factors can also cause Void to exit with an error.

The run-time errors are divided into four categories: DOS errors 1-99,
I/O errors 100-149, critical errors 150-199, and fatal errors 200- 255.

The following is a listing of the most common run-time errors. You might
be able to figure out the problem and correct it. If you can't, don't get
discouraged. Just contact one of the authors, and they'll be happy
to help you through any problem you might encounter.

C.1 DOS Errors

1 Insufficient function number

2 File not found

If this occurs at startup, you should be able to determine the
missing file by noting the last file attempted to be
initialized. You can try and recreate the missing file with the
INIT program.

3 Path not found

4 Too many open files

This error may indicate that your FILES=xx entry in your
CONFIG.SYS is either non-existent or the value is too low. Add
or modify the line to read "FILES=30".

5 File access denied

This error most often indicates a file sharing error or a bug
in Void.

6 Invalid file handle

This error is reported if an invalid file handle is passed to a
DOS system call. It should never occur, but if it does, it is
an indication that the file variable is somehow trashed,
perhaps from you editing a file that Void has opened.

12 Invalid file access code

15 Invalid drive number

16 Cannot remove current directory

17 Cannot rename across drives

18 No more files

C.2 I/O Errors

100 Disk read error

This error is reported if Void attempts to read past the end
of a file. It is a common error in development versions and
usually means a bug in Void.

101 Disk write error

This error is reported if the disk becomes full or another
unknown error occurs.

102 File not assigned.

103 File not open

104 File not open for input

105 File not open for output

106 Invalid numeric format

C.3 Critical Errors

These errors usually indicate a hardware problem. Double-check your
system for faults especially your drives.

150 Disk is write-protected

This error has been known to appear sporadically when running
under Windows 95. A cause is yet unknown.

151 Unknown unit

152 Drive not ready

154 CRC error in data

156 Disk seek error

157 Unknown media type

158 Sector not found

159 Printer out of paper

160 Device write fault

161 Device read fault

162 Hardware failure

C.4 Fatal Errors

These errors always immediately terminate the program.

200 Division by zero

201 Range check error

202 Stack overflow error

203 Heap overflow error

204 Invalid pointer operation

205 Floating point overflow

206 Floating point underflow

207 Invalid floating point operation

208 Overlay manager not installed

209 Overlay file read error

This can occur if you use a hard disk organizer or defragmenter
such as Norton Utilities' Speed Disk or PC Tools' Compress as a
DOS Shell event, because these will probably move the overlay
file somewhere else on the disk. The solution is to run these
events as External events.

210 Object not initialized

211 Call to abstract method

212 Stream registration error

213 Collection index out of range

214 Collection overflow error

215 Arithmetic overflow error

216 General protection fault

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[appendix d] Sample Modem Configurations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This section is very short because of the lack of information about other
modems. If you wish to make a contribution to this section, please
contact one of the authors.

Zoom 28.8k v.Fast
Init string : AT&F&C1&D2M0E0W2V1S0=0
Answer string : ATA
Hangup string : ATH0
Offhook string: ATM0H1

USRobotics 14.4k Sportster
Init string : AT&F1 M0 S11=38 S0=0
Answer string : ATA
Hangup string : ATH0
Offhook string: ATM0H1

Generic 14400 baud
Init string : AT&FE0M0Q0V1W2X4&C1&D2S0=0S95=1
Answer string : ATA
Hangup string : ATH0
Offhook string: ATM0H1

Generic 2400 baud
Init string : ATV1S0=0&C1&D2M0E0
Answer string : ATA
Hangup string : ATH0
Offhook string: ATM0H1

哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪
- VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD - VOiD -
哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪哪
VOiD.NFO (c) copyright VDT 1998