MultiAlias for DLG BBS/OS (pd) 1992 by Doug McLean What It Does ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several people have been looking for a way to get DLG to allow users to use aliases in fido echos. I thought that this would be a good idea for my adult echos, so I file requested a program that is supposed to automatically allow this. After quickly reading the docs, I found that it didn't do what I wanted, so I wrote MultiAlias. MultiAlias allows the user to use a seperate alias for each message area that the sysop allows, and changes the message headers of messages entered in that area to the appropriate alias. Since the message header no longer contains the users real name, the users alias is recorded in a log file every time he changes it (for those twits who might want to create an alias for the purpose of leaving nasty messages). The use of MultiAlias is optional for the user, he may chose not to define an alias for an area that permits one, in this case the message header will not be changed. MultiAlias will not allow the user to define an alias for an area that does not allow special aliases. The areas that permit aliases for MultiAlias are specified in a config file. Note that aliases used with MultiAlias are completely seperate from the default alias used by DLG. Please read these docs completely before attempting to install MultiAlias. It is late, and I am watching the TV while I write this, so please excuse any errors in these docs. Legal Stuff, Bugs, Etc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MultiAlias is public domain 1992 by me (Doug Mclean). I do not accept any responsibility at all for what it does or not do. If you use MultiAlias, you do so at your own risk. I haven't found any bugs. I ran MultiAlias and MultiSet under Enforcer, and tried everything I could thing of. Enforcer didn't complain, and everything worked as I expected, so it should hopefully be bug free. If you do find any bugs, please let me know ASAP! What Is Included ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MultiAlias The executable program to change the users name to the appropriate alias in the message header. MultiSet The executable program to allow the user to change/delete his alias in allowed areas. MultiAlias.cfg The config file for the above executables. MultiA.bat The message translator batch file to run MultiAlias (I named it this due to the limit placed on the length of the message translator batches by DLG). MultiAlias.doc What you are reading now. MultiAlias.xxx These files are created in USER:UNAME/ to hold the aliases set by the user. xxx is the message area number. Setting It Up ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To install MultiAlias: [1] Copy MultiAlias and MultiSet to your DLG: directory. [2] Copy MultiA.bat to your DLGCONFIG:BATCH/ directory. If you wish to use MultiAlias along with some other utility that uses message translator batch files, you will have to create your own batch file to execute both MultiAlias and the other utility. That shouldn't be too hard. Otherwise, the included batch file should work fine. [3] Copy MultiAlias.cfg to your MSG: directory. Edit this file to include only the areas that you wish to allow MultiAlias to function in. Each line of the file should contain a message area number, and nothing else (except a return at the end of the line). See the included sample. [4] Add MultiSet to your MSG_MAIN menu. The settings I use (and the only ones I have tested it with) are: [ 1] Letter: Q (pick whatever you want here, but DON'T use a number) [ 2] Executable: dlg:MultiSet %UNAME %Msg_AreaNumber logs:MultiAlias.log You may wish to change the log file, but a log file is necessary. Note that the executable here is MultiSet. Do NOT run MultiAlias from the menu. [ 4] Description: MultiAlias [ 5] Type: Executable [ 7] Lower Level: 10 (but you may wish to change this) [ 8] Upper Level: 255 [ 9] Hidden: NO [10] Load type: OVERLAY [11] Pend Messages: YES [13] CLI mode: NO [14] Pause on completion: NO [5] Edit the message areas you specified in MultiAlias.cfg so that the message translator for these areas is MultiA.bat. That is it! MultiAlias is ready to use. Using MultiAlias ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you select MultiAlias from the message menu, the program pretty much explains what to do, but I'll repeat it here and explain a little about how it works. To use MultiAlias, select it from message menu. If you are in an area that is NOT specified in the config file, you will be told that you may not set special aliases for this area. If you are in an area is specified in the config file, you will be shown your alias for that area if one exists, and asked to enter a new alias. Enter the new alias, or press return if you don't want to change anything. If you want to delete your alias for the current area so that your real name is used, type KILL when prompted for an alias. When you change or kill your alias in an area, the changes are recorded in the log file. This is to help prevent twits from changing their alias, entering a nasty message, and changing it again. Since the header file of the message would no longer contain a real name, the log file is the only way a sysop can determine who entered what. When you enter a message in a MultiAlias area, if you have not set an alias for that area, then nothing is changed in the message header, and it will contain your real name. You are told by MultiAlias that you have not specified an alias for the area, and that your real name (or regular alias that DLG uses) will be used. If you have defined an alias for the current area, your real name will be replaced in the message header with the alias. You are told that this change has been made. Reaching Me ~~~~~~~~~~~ Although MultiAlias is public domain, I would appreciate a note from you if sent me netmail to let me know that you use it. I may be reached at the net addresses below, or you can call my BBS directly. If there is enough demand for it, I will look into doing a similar utility to allow aliases in file areas. I don't know if this is even possible (I haven't looked into this at all), but it might be desireable for some file areas, such as adult areas. Doug McLean The Mad Scientist's BBS Fido 1:255/9 AnigaNet 40:940/1 (506) 636-9117 V32bis CM