   ۰۲
          THECONF(R) THE CONFERENCE AREA UTILITY FOR WILDCAT 4.X       
                            VERSION  5.5                               
    (C) COPYRIGHT 1995  BLACK HOLE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE   MIAMI,FL 33157   
       ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  PHONE (305)233-1946 BBS (305)383-8899      
   ۰۲



 This documentation will be very simplistic. For Installation tips please
 read the Install.txt file that is included with this upload. This program
 iis distributed as shareware not Freeware. Terms and Conditions are really
 quite simple. If you like it, use it. 


 Look for all of these programs in the MSI BBS or feel free to call our
    bbs at (305) 383-8899 or FREQ "THE" through Fidonet at 1:135/9.

    READ THE DISCLAIM.TXT THAT ACCOMANIED THIS PROGAM:

    What is this program ?

    THECONF(R) is a utility to keep track of your conference area. 
    THIS version will make a bulletin of your choice with a header
    of your making, and list each conference you have on your system with
    a few facts about the confernce. The include the following:

           First Message Number
           Last Message Number
           Earliest Date of a Message
           Newest Message Date
           Number of Active Messages in per Confernce
           Conference Number 
           Conference Name 
           Total Confernces in DataBase
           Total Active Messages in DataBase
    


    This program writes basic information into the activity log of 
    whatever node is running it. It is multiline aware.


WHY USE THIS PROGRAM ?

To tell the truth, there are only two main reasons that I created this 
utility and I am sure you will agree with both. I wanted to see how many
messages are online and active each day as well as how many messages my
system got the following day. My users do not use my message base any way
near what they use the file area. I also wanted to bring to their attention
the fact that there is a message area and maybe when they see the hello 
screen with the added messages in those message areas, it may perk some
interest in reading some of those messages. Thats it in a nutshell.


TIPS ON USE :

THECONF(R) is a utiltiy to count the messages in your Wildcat! conferences
and create a bulletin of those figures. THECONF(R) will also create another 
bulletin that gives the differences from the Last running of THECONF(R). 
This bulletin will show just the confereces that have changed and the totals 
of the changed conferences.

You should include a file called NOTIN.TXT listing conferences you do not 
wish included in the bulletins. The Total messages will not reflect the 
confernces you choose to Exclude. However, there will be a "HOLE" so to speak 
in the listing. The Numbers of the confences will be missing from the 
listings. So if you have 25 confences and you choose to exclude conferences 
10 - 14, the bulletins will those conferences in it's listing. You will show 
you have only confences 1-9 and 15-25.

Even if you do not have any files you are EXCLUDING from the generation 
please leave the NOTIN.TXT file with 0 bytes in the directory.

If you add a conference to your Makewild, only the bulletin listing all your
confereces will be made. If you change the number of conferences in the 
EXCLUDED file, only the bulletin listing all conferces will be generated.

You can run the program again and both bulletins will then be generated.

I use the second generated bulletin, the second in your configure file, to
give the users a chance to see how many files have come into the bbs. It is
used as a HELLO screen, because most of my users do not read the bulletins
on a regular basis.

You could if you desire, have both bulletins be HELLO screens, that is up to
you as a sysop. You know your users better than anyone else could.


You should run this program as an event after your net mail hour and also put
it into your sysop menu as a utility so you can run it after you make your
changes to makewild or the Exclude file.


HEADER.TXT is the file used for the first generated screen. You may change it
in any way you desire. HEADER2.TXT is the header file for the second 
generated screen.


Please : If you are not going to exclude any confernce areas from the bulletins
then delete the notin.txt from the directory.



    This is the registered version .  


    BLACK HOLE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE
    /\/\ichael /\/\attaway
    

    REGISTRATION INFORMATION :

    The registration for this program will be included in the Upload of all
    of the above mentioned utilities.



