Question Server Version 2.00c Copyright (c) 1993-1996 by Farwest BBS All Rights Reserved 1.0 CONTENTS ------------ 1.0 - Contents 2.0 - Introduction 3.0 - System Requirements 4.0 - Configuration 4.1 - Level 3 Configuration 4.2 - Level 4 Configuration 5.0 - Using the Question Server 5.1 - Importing Question Banks 5.1.1 - Import Quick Reference 5.2 - Category Editor 5.3 - Question Editor 6.0 - Revision History 7.0 - Tech Support & Contacting Farwest BBS 7.1 - Contact Information 2.0 INTRODUCTION ---------------- The Question Server is a module that "encapsulates" the Question Database used by the Farwest Trivia and the Farwest Tele-Trivia modules. The Question Server will allow you to do the following 1. Import new question banks. 2. Add/Edit/Delete questions. 3. Add/Edit/Delete categories. 3.0 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ----------------------- - MajorBBS 6.2x or WorldGroup 1.0x. - 386 CPU or better - 16MB of hard drive space. 4.0 CONFIGURATION ----------------- The Question Server has a few configuration options that can be set using Galacticomm's Configuration Facility. Each option is discussed in detail below. 4.1 LEVEL 3 (SECURITY AND ACCOUNTING) ------------------------------------- ACTCODE - Activation code The Question Server requires its own activation code in order to work. If you do not enter the correct activation code here the Question Server will limit any client applications such as Farwest Trivia and Farwest Tele-Trivia to just 25 questions. If you do not have your activation code you can always get it from Farwest by logging onto the BBS and typing /GO QSDLL and selecting option A. (See contacting Farwest below for phone numbers.) QSCRATE - Credit consumption rate This option specifies how many credits will be consumed per minute while a user is in the Question Server. Choose a higher number to place a premium on using the Question Server. Set this option to -1 leave credit consumption as is. 4.2 LEVEL 4 (CONFIGURATION OPTIONS) ----------------------------------- QSVERAUD - Generate audit trail messages Setting this option to YES will instruct the Question Server to generate an audit trail message each time the module enters its initialization, clean up, or shut down routines. This audit trail message will indicate what version of the Question Server you are running. QSIMPSPD - Import speed This option specifies the number of seconds between each question imported. For example, if you set this value to 5, one question will be imported every 5 seconds. For most system this value can be set to 2 without any response time impact. For systems on a network, or with a caching controller, you can safely set this option to 1. QSALTDIR - Alternate directory This option speficies what directory the question database file FW_QSQDB.DAT resides. We STRONGLY recommend you put the question database in a directory OTHER THAN your \BBSV6 or \WGSERV directory. QSASKDEL - Ask before deleting Whenever you try to delete a question or category you will be asked if you really want to perform the deletion. If you find this prompt annoying you can disable it by setting this option to NO. 5.0 USING THE QUESTION SERVER ----------------------------- In order to use the operations described in the introduction you must make sure the Question Server is in your menu tree. You will want to make sure you have restricted the access to the Sysop, Co-Sysops, or Trivia-Ops. 5.1 IMPORTING QUESTION BANKS ---------------------------- From time to time Farwest will release new question banks for you to download. In addition, to these free question banks you may purchase questions banks from other vendors. To make use of these new questions you must "import" them into your question database. For your convenience the Question Server has an online question bank importer. All add on question banks are distributed as .QDB files. (QDB stands for Question Data Bank.) Before you can import a question bank you must copy the .QDB file into the question directory. (The question directory is specified by the configuration option QSALTDIR in the FW_QSERV.MSG file. If the option is blank then the question directory is the same are your BBS directory) If the new question bank(s) came with an install program, chances are the .QDB files have already been copied into the appropriate directory. Once the files are in the appropriate directory you will want to start your BBS up. (If it is not already.) Now enter the Question Server and select option I from the menu. Use the arrow keys to highlight the question bank you want to import and hit the Enter key. You will now be provided with information on the question bank including the estimated import time. If you answer yes to the prompt asking if you want to continue, you will then be asked for the question bank's activation code. You should have got this code from the source of the questions. (Typically Farwest or a third party question vendor.) Once the activation code has been entered, the import process will begin. You can only import one question bank at a time. If you select option I from the Question Server menu again a message giving you the status of the current import will be displayed. The import process has been designed to be "fault tolerant". If your BBS goes down due to a crash, clean up, or operator intervention there is no need to worry, the import process will start up where it left off as soon as your BBS comes back up. After the question bank has been imported the .QDB file is renamed to a .Q$$ file. This is so that the question bank no longer shows up in the list of question banks available to import. You can either keep the .Q$$ files around as backups or you can safely delete them. 5.1.1 Import Quick Reference ---------------------------- 1. Copy question banks into question directory. 2. Choose I for Import Question Bank from the Question Server menu. 3. Select a bank using the arrow keys and hit Enter to import. 4. Enter the activation code. 5.2 CATEGORY EDITOR ------------------- Using the category editor is very striaght forward. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the category you want to edit or delete. To edit the highlighted category hit the Enter key. To delete it hit the Del (delete) key. To add a new category, simply hit the Ctrl-A key. To exit hit the Ctrl-X key. 5.2.1 Category Editor Control Key Summary ----------------------------------------- Enter: Edit category Del: Delete category Up: Move up one category Down: Move down one category Home: Top of list End: Bottom of list Ctrl-A: Add Ctrl-C: Page up Ctrl-L: Refresh screen Ctrl-R: Page down 5.2.2 Category Editor Limitations --------------------------------- There are only a few limitations to what you can do with the Category Editor. 1. You cannot edit or delete the GENERAL category. 2. You can only delete empty categories. In other words, you can only delete categories that have zero questions in them. 3. You can only have 250 categories. 5.3 QUESTION EDITOR ------------------- Using the question editor is very similar to using the category editor. The only difference is the ability to choose what "Sort Order" to view the questions, and the addition of a "Quick" feature to make "jumping" to a particular questions easy. To change your "Sort Order" use the Ctrl-T key combination. There are three sort orders to choose from; Number, Category, and Answer. The Ctrl-T is used to toggle through the sort orders. When the sort order is set to Number then the questions are presented to you sorted by question. Similarly when it is set to Category the questions are sorted by category. When set to Answer the questions are sorted by answer. When your Sort Order is set to Number you can jump directly to any question by typing in the question's number. As you type in the question number you will see the number show up next to the Quick prompt. At this time there is no Quick feature for Category or Answer, although this is planned for the near future. 5.3.1 Question Editor Control Key Summary ----------------------------------------- Enter: Edit category Del: Delete category Up: Move up one category Down: Move down one category Home: Top of list End: Bottom of list Ctrl-A: Add Ctrl-C: Page up Ctrl-L: Refresh screen Ctrl-R: Page down Ctrl-T: Toggle sort order 5.4 NOTES ON TERMINAL EMULATIONS -------------------------------- The Question Server's editors require a terminal emulation that supports partial scrolling regions (split screen). The Major BBS and World Group console emulators support parital scrolling regions so if you are using the console there should be no problems. Some communications packages (QModem Pro for DOS in particular) do not support partial scrolling regions in their ANSI implementation. So if you are doing your editing remotely you can get around this apparent limitation by switching your emulation from ANSI to VT100 or VT102. In addition to the emulation you MUST make sure the number of physical lines on your screen and the number of lines entered in your account details are the same. 6.0 REVISION HISTORY -------------------- September 10, 1994 - Version 1.0 of the Question Server is released with Farwest Trivia 3.0. February 27, 1995 - Version 1.01 containing support for Humanware Systems' MCV Utility. July, 1995 - Version 2.0. Now supports question categories, and has a much improved editor and allows online question bank importing. October 10, 1995 - Version 2.0a. Fixed bug that would GP system when a category was deleted from the middle of a list and then a new category created by an import. Noveber 16, 1995 - Version 2.0b. Reorganized the format of the FW_QSCAT.DB category database to combat a GP that would occur if a system had a blank category. 7.0 TECH SUPPORT & CONTACTING FARWEST BBS ----------------------------------------- The Question Server has undergone extensive testing and is felt to be "bug free". In the event that you do find a bug you can report it by contacting Farwest. Please note that a bug report is no good to us unless you include the error message you received and can repeat the bug. If you suspect the Question Server is causing a GP or you are getting a "catastro" error, please send us your GP.OUT, and CATASTRO.TXT files. Also if there is a FW_LOG.LOG file in your BBS directory please send that to us as well. The latest version of any module bought from Farwest is always avail- able for download by our customers on Farwest BBS. Please check in with Farwest once in a while to see if the Question Server has been updated. You may find that a suggestion you have has already been incorporated into the module. 7.1 CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------------- If you have any problems or questions do not hesitate to contact us. Voice: 604-370-1763 Modem: 14.4 kbps: 604-381-3934 or 604-381-4430 28.8 kbps: 604-381-1135 or 604-381-0680 Telnet: farwest.bc.ca FTP: ftp.farwest.bc.ca Email: support@farwest.bc.ca (MajorNet: Support@FAR) You can also leave a message in the MAJORBBS.DEV.FAR Forum on the MajorNet.