GexProTP ReadMe

APLPHA Rev 1 of gexprotp.dll

This is the first test release of the new Gex Pro Textprocessing plugin.
This plugin will be included in the gex pro package in future releases.

- WHY IS THERE A NEW GEXPRO PLUGIN
There are today many textdisplaying plugins in different forms. We are now
letting you unleach the power of gex pro in your textfiles, to be displayed
with those plugins. Two samples are provided in this ALPHA package.

ledex.txt - To be used with ledex lite, that comes with excalibur.
gexmarq.msf, gexmarq.mtf - to be used with BIT Marquee.

I have chosen these two, because the way they handle things quite
different. Lets begin with ledex lite.

Normally you call ledex lite in this way:

Action Plugin.

DLL-Name: ledlt_cam.dll
Commands: textfile.txt

This will bring up the leddisplay with the textfile loaded.

Now, to use gex pro statistics in the text, we must let gexpro take a look at
the text, before it is sent to ledex client dll. We can do that as follows:

Action Plugin.

DLL-Name: gexprotp.dll
Commands: ledlt_cam.dll textfile.txt

Gex will go through the text file and interpret you gex keywords, then launch
the led plugin with the processed textfile as the command.

Now one problem (with a sollution)

ledlt_cam.dll requires that the textfile is in the current directory (Your excal dir)
or that the full path to the textfile is provided.

GexProTP on the other hand requires that the file is in one screendirectory and 
by default it assumes that all other plugins works the same way (looking for file 
in the screendir) so Gex does not provide a full path to the textfile in the call to 
the ledlt_cam.dll. But you can make it do so by using the ^GEX.FULLPATH^ keyword in 
the textfile. (se the ledex.txt example file)

TO USE THE LEDEX EXAMPLE

Action Plugin

DLL-Name: gexprotp.dll
Commands: ledlt_cam.dll ledex.txt

NOTE ! ledex.txt must be in your screendir.


BIT Marquee.

Normally you call this plugin in the following way.

Action Plugin

DLL-Name: BPMARQ.DLL
Commands: SCRIPT.MSF SCREEN.SCR

This will start the marquee display with the settings defined in the scriptfile
(SCRIPT.MSF) and scroll the text thats in the file SCRIPT.MTF. The scrolling will
stop once the user leaves the screen SCREEN.SCR

To use gexpro stats in this plugin you must once again let gexpro process the text
thats about to be displayed. Once again there is also some toubble. This plugin however
assumes that the files are in the screendir, so that part is no problem. You must not
use the ^GEX.FULLPATH^ keyword. No, the problem is that the file you use as the command
to this plugin does not contain the text you want to display. The text is in a file with
the same name but with the MTF extension. When we use gex pro here it looks like this:

Action Plugin

DLL-Name: gexprotp.dll
Commands: bpmarq.dll script.msf screen.scr

Gex Pro assumes that the second command (script.msf) is the textfile to be processed.
But thats not the case here. Therefore you must use the new ^GEX.PROCESS(script.mtf)^
command in the script.msf file. Take a look at GEXMARQ.MSF and GEXMARQ.MTF.

TO USE THE BIT MARQUEE EXAMPLE

Action Plugin

DLL-Name: gexprotp.dll
Commands: bpmarq.dll gexmarq.msf (your screen)

This was a brief introduction to the new Plugin, and I am aware of that there is
situations that I havent foreseen, so I will apriciate your feedback.

------------- COMMANDS ----------------

Virtually all gexpro commands can be used, except for those who create graphics.
There is, however some diferencies in how you call some of the gex pro functions.

The toplists must be called with an argument showing the place in the toplist.

example: ^TOPCALLERS.HANDLE(1)^ will return the handle of the one who has made the
most number of calls to your BBS.

New Commands:

^GEX.FULLPATH^ uses full path to textfile in call to other plugin.
^GEX.PROCESS(filename)^ Process the file filename.
^GEX.UCASE^ From this point ALL text is uppercase
^GEX.LCASE^ From this point ALL text is lowercase
^GEX.NCASE^ From this point dont alter case. (deault)

-----------------------------------------

Good luck!
Stefan Sik, Genisoft

