PCBFV (C) Copyright 1990-1991 Yandell Computer Services -- [ PCBFV 2.45 New Features 8/24/91 ] ------------------------------- * PCBFV 2.45 is a very minor update to version 2.4. * Added a Sysop configuration toggle to always display FVMENU, or follow the caller's menu (expert) mode as last set in the USERS file. In PCBFV version 2.3, PCBFV was changed so that FVMENU followed the caller's menu on/off (expert) toggle from PCBoard. Many Sysops then said they wanted the menu to display all of the time. So, in 2.4 we changed it back. Now it seems a few Sysops want it to follow the caller's mode. PCBFV 2.45 allows the Sysop to choose between the two types of behavior. * Files stored with pathnames will now have "Contains a path!" displayed in the "Other Information" column to alert caller's to this situation. This situation was intensified with the addition of ARJ support in PCBFV version 2.4, because ARJ stores pathnames by default. Therefore a higher percentage of ARJ files than other formats seem to contain pathnames. -- [ PCBFV 2.4 New Features 7/19/91 ] ------------------------------- * ARJ support added. Both .ARJ and ARJ self extracting (SFX) .EXE files are supported. * The Sysop may configure a default answer for the (R)ead command if desired. This is configurable in FVSETUP. For instance, *.DOC File within PCBFV.ZIP to read, (L)ist, (wildcards are OK)? (*.DOC ) If a default answer is used, hitting any key other than backspace will completely erase the default answer so a new answer may be instantly entered (such as entering L for List at this prompt). * Multi-language FVHELP and FVMENU files are now supported. If a caller is using an alternate language, PCBFV will look for the appropriate FVHELP.??? and FVMENU.??? files and use them if they exist. * PCBFV now supports /X# versions of PCBoard (node numbers over 99). * Files created with the PAK compression method with an extension of .SDN (Shareware Distribution Network) are now supported. * PCBFV's SWAP capability can now be turned off in FVSETUP. This "might" clear up some incompatibilities experienced with PCBFV 2.3 in unsupported environments (multi-taskers other than DESQview, etc.). * PCBFV will always display FVMENU (if it exists) as it did prior to PCBFV version 2.3. In 2.3, the caller's eXpert mode was followed. Many Sysops stated they would prefer that FVMENU was always displayed by default. * PCBFV will no longer label a TEXT file as BINARY if it contains null (HEX FF) characters. It seems some (older) text editors use that character as a space. * PCBFV.HLP will need to be renamed to FVHELP, or use the FVHELP contained in PCBFV24.ZIP. * If using PCBFV as a door, PCBFV no longer uses the SET PCBFV=DOOR setting in the door file. Simply add /DOOR to the end of the PCBFV command line in the door (batch) file to use PCBFV as a door. * PCBFV no longer uses the SET NODE= environment setting for local use. If you are using PCBFV in PCBFiler or as a local utility, and PCBFV.CNF contains @NODE@ in certain parameters for multi-node use, you will have to create a new .CNF file (FILER.CNF for instance) for these uses. The parameters which contained the @NODE@ macros will now need to be fully specified in the special FILER.CNF file, and PCBFV.CNF will need to be replaced by FILER.CNF in PCBFiler and any local utility batch files. -- [ PCBFV 2.3 New Features 4/26/91 ] ------------------------------- * PCBFV now features a (F)ind Text command while reading text files! This is a full featured search mechanism. The whole page surrounding the text is displayed with the found text highlighted in the center of the screen. * The (F)ind command is complimented by a (R)epeat Find, which repeats the last Find command that was performed in the current text file. * The text reading and searching process is further enhanced by a (T)op of file command which allows the caller to quickly return to the beginning of the file for additional Find commands, etc. * All three of the new commands above appear in the "More" prompt at the end of a full page of text. The (R)epeat command only appears after a (F)ind has been executed. Both (F)ind and (R)epeat obey any limitations the Sysop has set with regard to how far into a text file a caller may read. * PCBFV will now SWAP itself to EMS or disk (disk if EMS is not available) if there is insufficient memory for external compression utilities to function. This drastically reduces PCBFV's overall memory requirements. * A new "Embedded" (L)ist command is located in the following prompts: File within PCBFV23.ZIP to read, (L)ist, (wildcards are OK)? ( ) - AND - ^ File within PCBFV23.ZIP to flag, (L)ist? ( ) ^ Entering JUST an L at these two locations will cause a quick, compact list of file names inside the compressed file to be displayed. For example: PCBFV23.ZIP contains these files: QUICK.DOC PCBFV.CNF PCBFV.EXE PCBFV.DOC PCBFV.HLP ORDER.FRM PCBVIEW.BAT FVSETUP.EXE FEATURES.NEW File within PCBFV23.ZIP to read, (L)ist, (wildcards are OK)? ( ) This should be very helpful if a filename is forgotten, and the original list has scrolled off the screen. The caller will not have to return to the main PCBFV prompt, do a long List again, then for an R or F again.... * PCBFV 2.3 no longer uses the original method of manually sending the Auto-Flag request through the host's hardware (AS PCBFV 2.1 & 2.2 did with PCBoard 14.5). Instead, PCBFV now uses PCboard 14.5a's internal mechanism (PCBSTUFF.KBD). This means Auto-Flag will no longer function if running PCBFV 2.3 with PCBoard 14.5 (no "a"). However, Auto-Flag will now function on systems running under DESQview and where the screen display is toggled off, neither of which was possible with PCBFV's ORIGINAL "Auto-Flag". * Callers will no longer be able to FLAG a file if they don't have enough daily bytes to download it with PCBoard. This prevents them from going through the motions of Flagging, then returning to PCBoard only to discover they can't download it anyway. * PCBFV will now follow the screen color and intensity as set in PCBoard. This further adds to PCBFV's "seamless, looks like PCBoard" claims. * If using the MENU, it will need to be renamed to FVMENU. * Use of a small FVMENU is now recommended, but is still optional. PCBFV will follow the caller's menu mode as last set in USERS with regard to displaying FVMENU (if used). * An (X)pert toggle has been added to turn the menu on or off. * PCBFV will now read non-DOS text files in text mode. Non-DOS text files are text files which contain only line-feeds, as opposed to carriage-return\ line-feeds (Unix text files, for example). * There are now exemptions for the "Number of lines to display per text file" and "maximum size to extract" settings. These exemptions are: A) If the remote caller is Record #1 in the USERS file (Sysop). B) If PCBFV is being accessed in any form of local mode, whether it is through the board, PCBFiler mode, or local utility mode. This allows Sysops full access of all files on their systems. * If you have LZH files on-line, PCBFV now looks for LHA.EXE instead of LHARC.EXE. * FVSETUP has been greatly enhanced with the addition of F1-Help at each of the FVSETUP parameters. -- [ PCBFV 2.2 New Features 2/22/91 ] ------------------------------- * Callers may now view GIF files to determine the GIF's resolution. This applies to straight GIF files AND GIF files which are STORED in ZIP files. * New (C)-CRC command allows callers to view the CRC value of all member files. * The "(S)elect another file" feature will handle PCBoard's file indexing introduced in PCBoard 14.5a. * New HEX display mode for viewing Non-Text files within compressed files. Sysop configurable. Sysop may allow any Non-Text files in a compressed file to be viewed, or exclude executable and compressed files inside of compressed files, or disable the HEX display of Non-Text files completely. * New (T)runcate command allows callers to truncate long lines in text files at 80 columns while reading. Some text files with long lines will be easier to view, even though text past 80 columns is truncated in this mode. * PCBFV now follows the caller's screen length from PCBoard, rather than defaulting to the 23 line standard. * The two macros used in PCBFV.HLP and the optional MENU (@flagfile@ and @filename@), are now complemented by @flagfilepd@ and @filenamepd@ which pad to 12 spaces. Use in PCBFV.HLP and MENU if using borders or boxes. -- [ PCBFV 2.1 New Features 11/21/90 ] ------------------------------- * AutoFlag! If enabled, PCBFV will make PCBoard think the caller has typed instructions to "FLAG" the caller created "FLAG.ZIP" as part of PCBoard's own "FLAG Batch List". PCBoard will include the file in the caller's batch download list, remind the caller if it hasn't been downloaded and they say (G)oodbye, etc. This feature is explained in detail in PCBFV.DOC. * PCBFV is now fully functional with non-standard COM ports, IRQ settings, and addresses. * An optional command menu may be used. This optional menu is not really needed if the main PCBFV prompt has been modified to contain command examples, however the ability to add a menu is available for Sysops who desire it. * For multi-node systems already running PCBFV, the SET NODE= environment setting is no longer needed. * The PCBFiler/Local mode has been greatly enhanced. PCBFV now features a true local mode which does not require any PCBoard system files to operate. * PCBFV now follows the F3 printer toggle and if 'on' PCBFV will send any output which normally goes to the caller log to the printer also. -- [ PCBFV 2.0 New Features 10/19/90 ] ------------------------------- * Now supports all activities on .LZH files, LHarc SFX .EXE and .COM files, and PKSFX .EXE files, as well as the previously supported .ZIP .ARC and .PAK formats. * New (S)elect command allows callers to select other compressed files for viewing without having to pop back and forth between PCBoard and the F V shell (completely CONFERENCE DLPATH.LST and FSEC aware!). * PCBFV is now completely Desqview aware and "behaved". PCBFV detects the presence of Desqview, writes only to the appropriate video buffer for the appropriate window, and gives it's time slice to other applications while idling at an input prompt. * A couple of prompts in PCBFV can be customized by the Sysop, allowing PCBFV to continue to live up to it's "looks like PCBoard" claims. (i.e. looks like *YOUR* PCBoard if you change many of PCBTEXT defaults). * Ability to limit types of files for (F)lagging based on file names. * Now allows "flagging across files". If the Sysop wishes, the caller may view from one file to another while adding individually selected files to one "caller created file", without having to download the caller created file between each File View. * The Sysop may specify the number of individual files which can be added at one time to a caller created file (helps prevent abuse). * New (I)nventory command allows callers to review the contents and size of their caller created file (especially helpful if "flagging across files" is enabled). * An "information" file is automatically included in each caller created file, stating the name of the individual files and the compressed file(s) they came from. * Writes pertinent information to the caller log. This gives the Sysop the ability to monitor the files callers are flagging for individual download. * Can now be installed as a door, for those systems with severe memory limitations that prohibit shelling. * (F)lag and (R)ead commands can each have their own security attached to them. For example, a Sysop may want to limit non-subscribing callers from the "higher end" features, using "text reading" and "flagging" as a perk for subscribing.