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An On-Line Door Support Unit
For use with Turbo Pascal 5.5 and 6.0
TriDoor is the most advanced, efficient and easy-to-use utility of
it's kind available on the software market today. It allows even the
novice Borland Turbo Pascal programmer to create fully-functioning
doors, on-line programs and utilities in a matter of minutes without
ever having to delve into the hundreds of texts on communications
programming.
In addition to having complete communications support TriDoor also
comes equipped with many other features which are extremely useful when
writing communications applications. Examples of these are color ANSI
graphics controls, user time handling routines and many Pascal-like
commands such as td_writeln() which is the communications equivalent of
write() and writeln().
TriDoor is flexible too! With the exception of a few things here
and there (like the tell-tale chat mode) your users may never even know
that you did not write the entire program- communications routines and
all. You will see no hard-coded error messages, forced configuration
files or annoying restrictions that you did not develop yourself. This
allows you to use all your programming resources the way YOU want as
opposed to the way a tool kit may have set them up. A prime example of
this is command line parameters; some tool kits will force you to enter
in the name of a configuration file on the command line. What if you
would rather enter in an IRQ setting or a user name? What if you do not
want a configuration file? TriDoor allows you to do as you will.
The programming possibilities are endless- I have written on-line
games, archive viewing utilities, text/ANSI graphics file viewers,
"top ten list" generators, terminal programs, SysOp paging doors and
many MANY more.
How many times have you said to yourself, "This is truly an excellent
system I have running if only I could add on a [blank] without changing
to a new BBS software..."? Well, there are a few solutions to this
problem: You could switch BBS software which may give you a few options
you did not have before but you are also reducing yourself to rebuilding
a system you have already put probably hundreds of hours of work into
and potentially compromising the quality of your user's environment -or-
you could download a door from your local BBS where you may find a
program to do what you need, but it may not be EXACTLY what you want
-or- you could use TriDoor to write your own! You could have the door
you want, make the changes you need at ANY time and have the pleasure
of having made it yourself.
I frequently find myself saying, "If you cannot do it with TriDoor,
then you probably cannot do it." I have only scraped the surface of
it's capabilities and ease of use; the rest is up to you. You now hold
the power to make the doors, on-line games and utilities that you have
always wanted!
FEATURES OF TRIDOOR
TriDoor has many advanced and VERY easy-to-use features which are
built right in. And although there are so many that I literally
cannot remember ALL of them, we are still adding all the time so give
us a call so we can get you a copy of the latest version.
* NOW VERY INEXPENSIVE! SEE LICENSING AGREEMENT!
* Automatic set-up and support of communications ports
* Automatic reading and processing of DORINFO1.DEF and PCBOARD.SYS
* Easy to use commands such as td_writeln() and td_readln() which
function as communications supporting equivalents of the Turbo
Pascal commands
* Built-in chat mode with word-wrap and ANSI color graphics
* Boolean variable halt_program which is set to TRUE if [F8] is
hit from the local keyboard- allows for programmer-defined
or non-existent "hang-up" procedures
* Easy forced "caps-lock", and "password-entry" (see "***"
instead of "hey" or "YOU" instead of "you")
* Length restriction available on input fields
* Built-in string capitalization, first letter capitalization and
easy integer/longint to string conversion available
* Built-in direct screen write functions
* Automatic status bar displaying time, name and baud rate
* Automatic on-line user time handling routines
* Built-in routines for clearing user's and local screen
* Built-in Boolean response "Are you sure?" function
* Built-in user-page (>BEEP!< "The SysOp is paging you!" >BEEP!<)
* Automatic "Last Printed" memory (can be disabled)
* Command list status bar on local screen
* Auto-sensing of color/monochrome local screen
* Borland Turbo Pascal 5.5 AND 6.0 support
* Full color ANSI graphics support
* User on-line time modification
* Auto-hang-up (halt_program := TRUE) at time<1
* System messages in status bar ("SysOp : User is being paged.")
* Ability to EASILY add support for ANY BBS system
* Ability to be run in multi-tasking environments such as
DESQVIEW and WINDOWS.
* Local disable/enable of remote user keyboard
* Fake line-noise from local console
* Ability to use non-standard IRQ/COMM port configurations
* Ability to change all communications parameters
* Locked communications port support
* Complete flow control support (XON/XOFF and CTS/RTS)
* Configurable/disableable user keyboard time-out feature
* Messages such as "Entering chat mode." can now be changed
* Configurable return to normal status bar after nn seconds
* Procedure naming conventions similar to Turbo Pascal's
* Efficient, fast, operation
* ANSI capable display_file() procedure
* Ability to disable local screen from program or [F9]
* PCBoard convention SysOp local control command keys
* A built-in DOS shell
... And more!
This is a list of all files contained in this release.
File Name Description
============== =================================================
RELEASE xxx This File - xxx is Release Number
DORINFO1 DEF Example Dorinfo1.Def file as created by QuickBBS
DORINFO1 DOC Dorinfo1.Def explanation file
CRC_CHK DOC PKZip CRC/file-size check list
HISTORY DOC Brief programming history of TriDoor
TRIDOOR DOC Documentation for Tridoor
READBBS DOC TriDoor door support read functions
SPECIAL DOC Special notice to all users (Last update 05-Dec-1992)
TRIDOOR REG Registration form for TriDoor
TRIDOOR UPG TriDoor Upgrade Request Form
TRIDR55U TPU Actual TriDoor Turbo Pascal V5.5 Unit (unregistered)
TRIDR60U TPU Actual Tridoor Turbo Pascal V6.0 Unit (unregistered)
DISPATTR EXE Text attribute display tutorial and reference
EXAMPLE PAS A brief example of a Turbo Pascal Program using
the TriDoor unit.
============== ==================================================
14 Files Total ** Please be sure to read SPECIAL.DOC **
If any of these files are missing, or you want to obtain the latest
release of the TriDoor package, you may contact us as follows :
Triumph Software VOICE Business Line : (508)263-4247
If we are not at work, please try us at home.
Christopher M. Russo Voice : (508)263-8420
Jeremy H. DuBois Voice : (508)263-7004
(716)274-0227
You may also contact us on the Internet at the following addresses :
Chris Russo : crusso@cs.ulowell.edu
Jeremy DuBois : jer@blaise.cif.rochester.edu
| 
Christopher M. Russo