Telegard Bulletin Board Software, v3.10 Feature Listing Copyright (C) 1997 by Tim Strike All Rights Reserved. Last Updated: October 31, 1997 The following is the feature listing for Telegard 3.10. Features which are not marked GAMMA x are in GAMMA 1. The features marked GAMMA x will only be available in that gamma release ("x"). This listing does not include bug fixes or changes; for a complete list of changes, the WHATSNEW.310 documentation should suffice. DOCUMENTATION * Telegard 3.02 documentation (TELEGARD.DOC) will be suplemented by the WHATSNEW.310 and TELEGARD.310 update documentation. A complete set of documentation will not likely be available until 3.10 final, or slightly thereafter. LANGUAGES * New language storage and retrieval mechanism breaks 64K barrier on languages, and pushes it to 2.1 MB [limited to 128K for the current Telegard releases]. UTILITIES * Updated utilities to provide more useful diagnostic and statistical information. AREAS * Area scan records now stored in flag file (instead of an individual file for each area). Improves speed of all message scanning features (reading, toggling, etc.), and reduces size requirements greatly. * File and Message Quick-Access menus are now powered by the menu kernel for complete configurability of the two menu sets. * A second group set has been added so that you can separate your file/message areas as desired. * Area compression now separate b/w files and messages. MESSAGES * Major internal code modifications to the entire message reading structure; fixes bugs, improves overall speed and operation of the message areas (all known JAM and Squish bugs have been fixed). * Message reading is now driven by the menu kernel, providing complete control over the message prompt and how it interacts with the users. New set of menu commands R? to complement this feature for use on the reading prompt. * Title scanning now available in more reading modes. * Reading non-scan criteria messages is now allowed in all modes (except waiting/emailscan). * To and from scans now accept optional names to scan for (so you can read messages to/from a specific user)--blank assumes the online user (i.e. you). * Editing of message headers (to/from/subj/flags) is now available. Additionally, toggle for message received status is now available too. * Telegard can now use REPLYADDR from Internet Email addresses. * Message threading (following reply chains) has now been added, with SmartPath, allowing the user to follow a reply chain and then return to the original unordered thread with the next non-thread message command. * New anonymous toggle: Realname or Handle (allowing either to be used/chosen at time of posting). * New anonymous tracking modes for echomail/netmail areas so that messages can be posted partially or totally anonymously from your system, and still be tracked back to the originating user [provided anonymous tracking is on, otherwise the message is completely anonymous except for system logs]. Anonymous echomail should now work flawlessly. * Smart message area opening code: if an area can not be opened, a polite message should be returned rather than a hard runtime error message. * Kludge lines can now be extracted from messages, and also quoted in replies (provided necessary access is available). * Quote warnings and quote thresholds (maximum) now available within the line editor. * Added toggle for appending "Re:" to the reply subjects. * Smarter 'dumb-quote' (SmartQuote off) will now properly truncate lines only when it needs to. * Smarter quote engine, restarts quoting from where it was previously ended. * Fixed up file attaches such that the parameters passed to the protocol use the proper format (no filename for batch protocols, which is often why attaches via Zmodem, etc. would report errors when used with DSZ/GSZ). * Version 7 nodelist searching has been completed. Version 7 GAMMA 3 nodelist browsing will be completed in a later version. * SysOp logs contain the From: name for posted messages if the base allows anonymous types (even if the message is not anonymous). This is for tracking purposes. * Added auto-signature support for messages posted within the line editor. Two lengths, long and short, are configured by the SysOp for each area. * Import filenames are persistent across the same message area session. FILES * Complete overhaul of the file section: improves speed, storage format, and fixes many of the previous restrictions. Overhaul also fixed many of the file section bugs, and made the interface more user friendly! * File tagging prompt now driven by the menu kernel for complete control over file tagging options. Also added file editing features from the file tagging prompt. Complementary menu command set S? for use with the file tagging menu. * Upload queues no longer used (blind uploading gone). Download queue increased to 50 files. * Duplicate file names are allowed across file areas [fixed previous faux-pas]. * Added secondary sort option for file area sorting, and added per-area sort criteria. Also added command-line driven sorting (based on this per-area sort criteria). * Added ability to update file path based on label of CD-ROM so that CD-ROM changes function better. * More complete logging from the file section, including all download requests for: - Missing, Offline, Failed, Unvalidated files - Failed passwords - Unmatched CDROM labels (i.e. all the ones that SysOps might be interested in) * Smarter editing commands now included in the file editor. * Option to remove high-bit from imported descriptions. * Support for PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format added. * The validate files maintenance option is now powered by the same update engine as most of the other maintenance items. * Graphic Specification (GifSpec=NNNxNNN,NNNc,type) is now represented as (xSpec=NNNxNNN,NNNc,type) instead. * The search engine for the file section has been updated to reflect the new structure--it's using the QuickSearch now instead of the much slower POS(), and was noticeably faster on my machine (perhaps not on yours . . . ) * When moving files, conferences are now ignored automatically. This -could- be accomplished locally before by just hitting the IGNORE CONFERENCE SysOp key, but this makes it automatic, so you can move files across conference boundaries. SCRIPTS GAMMA 2 * Telegard scripting language takes a complete overhaul into a compile language, with compiler. The new scripts are smaller, run faster, and provide a more feature rich set of functions (math, file, etc.). Compiler also includes more helpful diagnostic information. DOORS * The DOOR.SYS file (Menu DG) has been updated to reflect the *correct* format of the DOOR.SYS file created by GAP. * The DOORFILE.SCR was updated to reflect the correct format of the DOORFILE.SR file expected by SR games. MENUS * Major overhaul to the internal menu routines -- this was done not only for optimization purposes, but also to support the new specialized menus (see AREAS, MESSGAES, FILES and this section for details). * The New User Information Verification menu is now driven by the menu kernel (NEWUSERV.MNU) for complete control of the new user process. * New menu commands for processing adjustment of timebank, netmail debits/credits, filepoints and online time. * New default (override) menu help levels for complete menu control. * Menu editor now contains a (R)ename menu function, and a (C)opy menu command function. GAMMA 3 * Automated lightbar menus, including support for external ANSI menus. Also includes advanced support for arrow keys as menu command keys, for both local and remote operation. OTHER * User-ID *text* was changed from ##-#### to #### format. * Support for FrontDoor or Binkley style logging. * Duplicate phone number warnings can be optionally sent via email. * Local input routines accept left and right arrows to move within the input line, and the insert and delete keys to GAMMA 3 toggle editing types. Advanced remote input will be included when the full lightbar menu interface is completed. * Added drive table listing and update facility from SystemConfig.Hardware. * Added security level upgrade and downgrade notices to the validation system. * User accounts can now be toggled with 'No Password Alert'. * The TRASHPHN.TXT file will now be used to deny BBS list numbers as well. * The TRASHPHN.TXT file which Telegard parsers to deny phone numbers now accepts ? as well as * as wildcards. * Improved file I/O for multinode configurations. * Date and time separators now completely used. * Random files should be more evenly distributed between .ANS, .AN1, etc... * MCI translation (~xx->text) should now be more friendly to short-long file names (i.e. Features310.html -> Featur~1.htm) when displayed. Mainly for Windows 95/Linux systems. * Tonnes upon tonnes of listed and unlisted bug fixes. PLATFORMS * Telegard 3.10 will be available on at least DOS and OS/2 native platforms. The first gamma will be DOS only, followed shortly thereafter by Telegard/2 (OS/2) release which is a drop-in replacement (same data files et al.). Other platforms are being explored, but no commitment has been made to develop any other platforms (and indeed, no work has been started).