Hotz Gianluca presents FrontStatus V1.0
             -----------------------------------------


Addenda
-------
V1.0    First release.

What is it ?
------------
FrontStatus is a front door for multinode BBSs running on Amiexpress V1.1x+
Whenever a user connects to the BBS, a short message is sent to him with
nodes status. Here is an example:

Welcome to AmiExpress BBS Version 1.1x
You are connected to Node 0 at 9600 baud.
Connect time is Sat May 16 04:57:56 1992

++ <Node 0> ++ is receiving your call.
-- <Node 1> -- is waiting logon.
++ <Node 2> ++ is busy.

ANSI graphics (Y/n)?


The following messages are outputted for V1.1x+:

-- <Node x> -- is waiting logon.
++ <Node x> ++ is receiving your call.
++ <Node x> ++ is busy.
?? <Node x> ?? informations not available.

The following messages are available only for 11 May Beta+ version:

** <Node x> ** is shut down.
** <Node x> ** is suspended.
** <Node x> ** is reserved.
## <Node x> ## is no more active.

The door has to be installed as any other XM type door, the only difference
is that in the customcommands the door name *MUST* be FRONTEND (This tells
Amiexpress to run it when the user connects). Nothing else.

Active nodes are auto dected. "Informations not available" occours only when
the door can't find ENV:STATS@X or a read error occours on it.

The first arexx version of this front door was written by NATAS/DIVINA and
many loosers lamered it inserting dangerous stuffs. Well now it is in
Assembler and hopefully many of those lame guys won't succed in inserting
dangerous stuffs. The text are not crypted and I left some free space to let
you change them. Just zap into the executable and change it to your own taste
but be carefull:

1) For each text after the word "Node" there's a space and a 0 byte. Changing
  this zero byte is useless since the program stores node number in it.

2) All the zeros that follows the texts can be used to extend the messages.
  Remeber to leave at least one of those zero at the end otherwise you get
  weird messages.

Coding infos
------------
The executable is a bit long because I used my Amix.obj object file that
contains many usefull subroutines to interface with Amiexpress, and some
of them are just not used (for example the SHOW/EDIT file functions etc.)

Future
------
Maybe Fidonet ? Maybe script files ? Who knows...

Other Products
--------------
I spend some few words on my other products:

1) OpWin: I started to work to V1.8 but I will stop for some time mainly
         because all new features that will be implemented will be available
         only with new versions of Amiexpress. (V1.7 for example has the
         user name highlightning available only on AX beta versions).
         Anyway future versions will feature: gadget banks, standalone
         configuration program, gadget to pop up Amiexpress, paging
         breakable by user and all I can think more.

2) WhoDoor: The same as for OpWin. A new version will be done when a new
           version of Amiexpress will be released.

3) The Prophet: This one had little success. Maybe because it was a bit messy
               to configure for generating bulletins, or maybe because it's
               really useless :-) Anyway I think I'll drop it.

4) Multichat: Ok, some of you out there got in touch with it. It is still a
             beta version and has many bugs. Starting from the .w command
             that sometimes gives weird actions and ending with guru
             when you try to open the server window while the iconified bar
             is at the bottom of the screen. But I have to say a thing about
             the freezing of the server: this is due to buzy looping tasks
             with higher priority, so whenever it occours check with some
             tools if there is a buzy looping task. The problem may be solved
             either by quitting the buzy looping task or by raising server's
             priority above buzy looping tasks's priority.
             I received tons of complaints about the way the chat works. So I
             spend a few words on it: the chat is supposed to be a UNIX styled
             chat (like IRC or ALTOS/LUTZIFER). I didn't made it as a direct
             chat on purpose. Many BBSs runs with more than 2 nodes and direct
             chat would be real messy. I may start coding a different chat
             that allows direct chat only between 2 nodes. It seems also
             that most users are allergic to turn the chat line of their
             terminal on, so I may introduce some ANSI controls for avoiding
             messages to come in the middle of the message being written.
             (I'm not too happy about this, they made the chat line for it).
             Following Skyline suggestion the server will become a commodity
             so it will be possible to iconify/uniconify/quit it from the
             exchange. Also AppIcon & AppMenu iconification will be available.
             This means that future versions of the Multichat will work *ONLY*
             under OS 2.04. The new version will take a bit to be finished
             because it's exams time at university :-(

GENERAL: All new doors coming from me will support door logging on
        Doors:Doorlog introduced by DUX! (I think).



Copyright & Disclaimer.
-----------------------
-The author takes no responsibility on the effects that this product may
have on your system. The program is provided "as is" without warranty of
any kind. Results and performance of the product is assumed by you.

-This product is Copyrighted (C) 1992 by Hotz Gianluca however can be freely
distributed or put in any Public Domain collection as long as all files
remain unmodified and the archive remains intact.
Archive contents:

FrontStatus
FrontStatus.doc
customcommands


-FrontStatus was compiled using O.M.A. V2.0 (C) 1991 M&T Software Partner
International GmbH. Really worth buying it!!

-Amiexpress is Copyrighted (C) 1992 Cotile Enterprises, All Rights Reserved.
You can buy it on one of these Technical Support boards:

 BullDog's Friends BBS..USA..........(HST) 318-793-4101
 DownTown BBS...........Holland......(HST) +31-5750-29313
 AKiRA PROjECT BBS......Canada.......(HST) 416-512-8566
 Pearl Harbor BBS.......Germany......(HST) +49-441-391199
 Infinite Dreams BBS....Italy........(HST) +39-2-58105803

Pirating is a crime! Don't support it!

Bug reporting & miscellaneous.
------------------------------
Bug reporting should be redirected to:

Hotz Gianluca
Via Brughieretta N.8
I-21038 Reno di Leggiuno (VA)
ITALY

Fido: 2:331/301 (Gianluca Hotz) (This is BBS 2000 in Milan)

or you can get in touch with me on one of this boards with handle ALZHEIMER
(sorry if anyone is hurt by it!) :

TEMPLE OF DESTRUCTION - INFINITE DREAMS - ASYLUM - STRANGE LAND

Money , gifts , postcards , foreign beer bottles/cans , souvenirs ,
photos , suggestions , complaints , posters , "hard rock cafe"'s stuffs ,
public domain utlities are welcome :-)

Since I've seen some of our Arexx doors going round with lame delete
files adding, I suggest to give a look at it before installing.
Sorry but improductive idiots are all over.

Credits & Greetings.
--------------------
-Many thanx to Joseph Hodge for all the material submitted to me.

-Thanx to POWS OF TCB , UFO OF LEPROSY and SKYLINE for reporting bugs in
MultiChat system.

Greetings in no order to:

Natas/DIVINA - Storm/DIVINA - Dark Angel/DIVINA - Shark/HBT - DDT/HBT -
Pitagora - Bluelight - Axe!