NEWSFLSH.PPE is a PPE to diplay a text file containing date
headers and entries for a specified number of days.
Compiled with PPLC v3.2. Requires PCBoard 15.22+ to run.
 
To start, this PPE is FREEWARE. If you call my BBS:
 
Blackbeard's BBS:  (318) 468-3385  USR D/S V.34+
 
and Join Conference #5, there is an on-line registration PPE which will
create your free KEY file and Download it. There are no delays in the PPE,
only an UNREGISTERED message in the banner.
  This method will also provide me with a way to see how many people
actually decide to use the PPE (or at least test it).
 
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|Intructions|
-------------
Unzip this PPE and accompaning files to the subdirectory of your choice.
NOTE: You may keep your original NEWSFLSH.CFG file, it will work correctly
with this update, but you might want to edit it to add the RANDOM option.
 
To install this PPE, Just place it in your NEWS file. You do so by adding
the line:
!d:\pcb\ppe\newsflsh\newsflsh.ppe
 
in your NEWS file, replacing the appropriate drive and path information.
 
-------------
|Config File|
-------------
 
Next edit the config file. It must be named NEWSFLSH.CFG and must reside
in the same directory as the PPE. The config file is commented.
Sample NEWSFLSH.CFG
==========================
NEWZ
60
RANDOM
RANDOM
RANDOM

L
R
RANDOM
78
N
=======End of File========
 
 
Line 1: NEWZ file to display. Base name only. You may have LANG specific files.
		Files must reside in the same directory as the NEWSFLSH.PPE
		The file name may be overridden via the command line.

Line 2: Max # of Days to show newz entries
		If an entry is # days old, it (and all entries after) will not be
		displayed.  Running the PPE with the MAINT option will remove them
		from the file.
 
Line 3: Date Heading @X color attribute without @X
		This is the color you want the date to be shown in.
 
Line 4: Text Color Attribute
		This is the color you want the Entry TEXT to be shown in.
 
Line 5: Separator Bar Attribute
		This is the color you want the Separator bar to be shown in.
		Ignored of an %include file is used in line 6
 
*NOTE- For random color schemes enter RANDOM for line(s) 3,4,5. It will
	   use random color schemes for each line with RANDOM entered.
 
Line 6: Separator Bar
		This is the text of the separator bar. I suggest a length of 78.
		You can create an include display file to use as the  separator
		and enter %d:\path\filename here to have it displayed instead.
 
 
Line 7: Date Position [L,C,R,N] Left, Center, Right, None - Default Left
		  To suppress actually showing the date of the entry enter N.
 
Line 8: Subject Position [L,C,R] Left, Center, Right - Default - Center
		  Conflicts between this and the Date position will use the
		  date position and override this value.
 
Line 9: Subject Color attribute
		  (See *NOTE following Line 5 - Same applies)
 
Line 10: Length of Date/Subject Line. Should be an even number.
		  You should probably make this the same length as the Separator
		  bar. It is used for justifying the Date and Subject on the
		  Date Line and keeps the line length constant when using a colored
		  background for the date/subject.
 
Line 11: Disable Registration info display. (Reg. only option)
		 Once you have your key file, setting this to "Y" (without quotes)
		 will suppress the version and registration header, making the
		 PPE look more seamless with PCBoard.


All blank lines and lines starting with a ';' are considered comments
The only required entry is the name of the news file to display, unless
it is entered on the command line (see CMD Line Options)
The rest of the entries have default values if they are missing.
 
*Notes- When RANDOM is chosen, text will be be random forground on black
	background for the entries. Dates,subjects and separators have more
		combos.
	Also, with the lifting of the 78 character line limit
	for text entries, I recommend only using black background unless
	you make sure each line is EXACTLY the same length.
	The same colors will not be used for forground and background for any
	color attributes and I have removed the hardest color combinations
	to read too.
 
-----------------
|News Entry File|
-----------------
 
The News file entered in the CONFIG file is a plain text file with the
following format
 
~~MM/DD/YYSubject of entry #1
  This is news entry #1
~~MM/DD/YYSubject of entry #2
  This is text #2
 
 
	   All date headers must follow the 'MM/DD/YY' or 'MM-DD-YY' format and be
preceded by '~~' without the quotes. The ~~ characters will not be displayed.
Immediately after the Date should be the Subject. This doesn't need an entry,
so your old NEWZ files will still work.
 
Once an entry's date is older than the number of days specified in the config
file, the rest of the news file will be ignored. Do not include @X codes
in the date or subject headers. They will throw the justification off.
	  Also, the date header must start in column 1. If you have chosen
Center or Right justified, Newsflash with move it appropriately. The Subject
must follow the date, it will also be justified automatically.
 
	After the date is printed,the separator bar is printed in the color
defined in the config file, or the default if none is entered.
	   Text entries can be any news description you wish, including @X color
codes. The PPE will start each line with the color code in the config file
so any changes you make must be done for each line.
The Separator bar and the Text entries can use PCBoard's %FILESPEC for
including other display files (see your PCBoard manual for details)
 
----------------
|Optional Files|
----------------
 
 
If the File NFHDR exists in the PPE directory, it will be displayed
prior to the actual news entries. This file should NOT include a @cls@
macro as the PPE will clear the screen automatically before it is displayed.
This file may have Security, Graphics, and Language versions as well
(ie. NFHDR50R.FRE would be displayed to all level 50 Ripgraphics users
using the FRE language. If notfound, the default file will be displayed)
 
If the file NEWSFLSH.KEY exists in the PPE directory, the Registration
information will replace the UNREGISTERED notice before the News is displayed
IF it is a valid key file and contains the correct information.
You can also remove the registration display once registered.
 
You shouldn't need to get a new one if it already exists. If you lose it, you
can call my BBS and re-run the Registration PPE (NKEY) in Conference #5 to get
another. No changes were made to the format so you shouldn't need a new one
unless your old one isn't working.
 
------------------
|CMD Line Options|
------------------
 
The PPE now supports 2 Command line options- MAINT and a FileName
 
Filename example:
!C:\PCB\PPE\NEWSFLSH.PPE Filename
 
If you include the filename (no paths) after the PPE, it will override
the filename used in the config file. With this option you can "do away"
with the config file completely, and use the default values instead!
Langauge specific files for the Filename will be displayed if they
exist.
 
MAINT examples (used for event processing):
===========================================
PCBOARD "/PPE:c:\path\NEWSFLSH.PPE MAINT [Filename]"
 
*Note* The Quotation Marks are REQUIRED for proper execution.
 
This method is handy for keeping your News File trimmed. It can be
added to your Nightly, Weekly, Monthly...event to keep the file
size limited.
 
What the MAINT option does is run through the NewsFile and remove
entries older than the number of days in the config file or the default
if no config file exists. It does not check every entry, but rather stops
at the FIRST entry that is older; any entries after that are also removed.
	If a filename is also included after the MAINT option, maintenance
will be performed on that file instead. The Filename MUST come after
the MAINT option for this method to work, and it must reside in the same
directory as the PPE.
 
The Maintenance option creates a temporary file which holds all the entries
that have been kept. Once the newsfile has been processed, it renames the
temporary file to the original news filename and then deletes the temporary
file.
 
-------------
|Final Notes|
-------------
 
This PPE works for me and should work for you. If you have any problems,
I can can be reached at my BBS listed above, or on Intelec or U'NI-net.
Also via Fidonet at 1:19/19 and internet at herbert.bushong@bbread.pecan.com
 
----------------------
|Planned enhancements|
----------------------

Any other enhancement you might want? Call and request your Reg. Key
from my BBS and leave the request in your comment. If it's feasible
I'll do it!
 
 
The only guarantee is that this program will take up disk space. If it
doesn't work for you, I'll try to fix it. It works for me, and it's free,
so expecting too much isn't recommended, but I'll do whatever I can <g>.
 
 
   Herbert Bushong
    Team PCBoard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
