
                             FreeFile Version 1.20
                             Copyright (c)1994-1995
                            ------------------------
                            Gorgon Enterprises, Inc.
                                  P.O. Box 200
                                Avenel, NJ 07001
                                ----------------
                                 Best Buy Online
                                  908.634.5117
                                  ------------
                                    Internet
                                admin@gorgon.com

Copyrights herein are the property of their respective owners.


INTRODUCTION

Why FreeFile?
Gorgon Enterprises, Inc. runs Best Buy Online a subscription Bulletin Board
Service in Woodbridge, New Jersey at (908)634-5117. Although our service is
for paid subscribers, there are certain files we make freely available to
non-subscribing callers; file lists, RipTerm, subscription information, etc.
In order for a non-subscriber to obtain these files, they would have to log
on, find the free file directory, flag the file or files and download them.
With FreeFile installed in a security specific command file (see INSTALL.TXT)
they are automatically presented with these files as soon as they log in. This
program was written with the idea of drastically increasing the number of
times these selected files are downloaded. We felt this would increase our
base of paying callers by making it easier for the callers to obtain our file
lists and other system information. With this information in hand, the caller
will be more likely to call again and end up registering.


BACKROUNDER

Gorgon Enterprises, Inc. is a New Jersey corporation that was founded in
November, 1993. We provide consulting, networking and custom application
services to small and medium size businesses throughout Northern New Jersey,
Manhattan, Long Island and upstate New York.

The company's founder and President, John P. Carroll, has been in the
computer industry for over a decade. Besides hardware and networking, John
has been working with X-Base languages for over six years. He started out
with dBase III plus and worked through dBase IV, Foxpro 2.0 for DOS, Foxpro
2.5 & 2.6 for Windows and Microsoft Access 2.0.

We currently develop custom applications for clients in Foxpro 2.6 for
Windows and Lotus Notes 3.2. With our interest in the Online community,
Shareware and PCBoard itself, we saw PPL 3.0 as being a natural extension
of the services we currently offer.


OVERVIEW

FreeFile is a PPE for PCBoard 15.2+ that makes it very easy for unregistered
callers to obtain files that you wish to make freely available.

FreeFile is installed as a security specific command file and in the CMD.LST.
As a command file, the program is started immediately after a caller enters
their password. In the CMD.LST, FreeFile becomes a command available to the
caller from the Main Board Command prompt.

Although we already have ideas for the next version of FreeFile (see
WHATNEXT.TXT), version 1.20 is a complete, debugged application. We have
seen many BBS applications, whether they are doors or PPEs, that have bugs
or functions that just don't work. This usually happens because the
programmer just can't figure out a problem and releases the program with
no concern for fixing the problem. Such programs are rarely supported and
many of them are never updated to fix these problems.

There are features of FreeFile that are disabled in unregistered versions of
FreeFile. However, this program is not CrippleWare, BegWare or PauseWare.
FreeFile is Shareware. It is FULLY functional - none of the main features or
functions are disabled to encourage registration. For additional information
on registration see REGISTER.TXT. For information on the Shareware concept,
see SHAREWAR.TXT.


MAJOR FEATURES OF FreeFile v1.20

- dBase Report File

FreeFile generates and maintains a dBase file that reflects activity within
the program. FreeFile.DBF Contains the date, the number of times per day that
FreeFile is used, the number of times FreeFile is actually used to download
files per day, and the number of files per day downloaded through FreeFile.

- Custom Color Configuration

All of the colors on the screen, including text, borders and file names can
be configured to any color. This allows the Sysop to configure the color
scheme of FreeFile to match their system.

- File Existence Testing

When displaying the files that you have configured, FreeFile tests for their
existence. If the files do not exist, a red * is automatically inserted in
front of the file name. A line similar to the following also appears below the
list of files:

*FILENAME = Unavailable File

The * here is also red. This works nicely because if a caller flags all of the
free files for download, they are not surprised when one is missing.

- Immediate Download

Part of the intent of this program was to get our free files into the hands of
the new caller right away. When installed as described in INSTALL.TXT, FreeFile
will activate for a New Caller immediately after Quick Registration and for a
caller who is calling for the second or later time immediately after entering
their password. When the caller has selected the files they wish to download,
they are presented with the option of downloading the files right away. When
the caller responds 'Yes' to the question, they end up downloading the free
files before they even get to the Main Command Prompt!

- Selection Errors

If a caller makes an invalid file selection an error message is displayed. There
are currently only 3 valid selections. * selects all files, #-# selects a range
of consecutive files and #,# selects multiple, non-sequential files. If a caller
makes a selection that does not fit these criteria or selects a file number
higher than the number of files available, an error screen is displayed. This
screen informs the caller of the error and shows the proper ways of selecting
files. The FreeFile program is then restarted.


TIPS AND IDEAS

Best Buy Online is configured for FreeFile to run for Security Level 11 only.
As such, in our GEN directory, we have a command file called 11. the contains
the single line "!F:\PCB\PPL\FREEFILE.PPE" Configured in this way for Level
11, FreeFile will not run automatically for any other security level. However,
it is still available as a command at the Main Prompt from being configured in
the CMD.LST file. While we were setting up FreeFile, the Sysop (obviously not
at Level 11) needed to be able to run it.  What he did was to create a security
specific command file called 110. in the GEN directory (110 is the Sysop
security level on Best Buy Online) with the line "!F;\PCB\PPL\FREEFILE.PPE" in
it. This, along with logging into the node he was working on using USER - BUSY
instead of SYSOP - BUSY on the Call Waiting screen allowed him to test the full
functionality of FreeFile. When finished configuring and testing FreeFile, the
Sysop simply deleted the FREEFILE line from the 110. file.


TROUBLESHOOTING

Problem: You have the correct directory specified on Line 16 of FreeFile.cfg
         and the files are in the specified directory, but they all have the
         red 'Unavailable File' asterisk in front of them when you start the
         program.
Answer:  Make sure you have a \ at the end of your directory specification on
         Line 16 of FreeFile.cfg. If you have 'C:\PCB\FREEFILE' with out the \
         and one of the file names is YOURBBS.ZIP, FreeFile will be looking for
         C:\PCB\FREEFILEYOURBBS.ZIP and this obviously won't exist!
