Taken from: Z*Net Atari Online Magazine (#92.12) - March 21, 1992:
|
| ======================================================================
| * RATSOFT ST
| ======================================================================
|
|
| Specifications and Features of ~ RATSoft ST ~
| January 27th, 1992
| Revised March 6th, 1992
|
|
| RATSoft ST was conceived, designed, and written by Rat Master.  It is
| NOT a modified ANYTHING.  RATSoft is the property of R0dent Labs, Inc.
| This text file may be freely passed around, in UNMODIFIED form!
|
| ~ RATSoft ST ~ and all R0dents Labs Products Support and Information
|   BBS:
|
| The Rats Nest Bbs
| (714) 989-3381
| US Robotics Dual Standard
| 730 Megabytes Online
| Located in Southern California
| Voice and East Coast support will be added at a later date
|
| --- NOTICE! ---
|
| This is by no means a complete list of the specifications and features
| of RATSoft ST, it is merely intended to give you an idea of what
| RATSoft can do, and requires in order to run.
|
| RATSoft ST and RATSoft PC are products of R0dent Labs, Inc., and are
| Copyright (c) 1991 - 1992 R0dent Labs, Inc. California.
|
| ---------------
| System Requirements:
|
| - Atari ST, Atari STE, or Atari TT030 with at least 1 megabyte of RAM.
|   For 1 meg machines, unnecessary DA's need to be removed to free up as
|   much memory as possible.
|
| - Hard Drive of at least 20 megs or greater.  I have included no floppy
|   support.
|
| - Hayes Compatible Modem
|
| Optional:
|
| - Printer for BBS logs, user log lists, file lists, etc.
|
| Features of RATSoft ST:
|
| - It's a snap to install and use! Click on "RATSOFT.PRG", the BBs takes
|   care of the rest.  It will create your necessary paths as it goes.
|   No ".OPT" files to edit.
|
| - Speed - a big thing.  It's extremely quick.  EXTREMELY.
|
| - Unlimited translation support.  All translation codes are SysOp-
|   definable!  RATSoft will mask out foreign translations on the SysOp's
|   screen to avoid garbage, as well as filter color on monochrome
|   systems. (And yes, you may add Instant Graphics without any trouble!)
|
| - Multiple welcome screens and optional separate text files for each
|   translation.
|
| - Full color support in messages!  4 color VT52 with reverse and 16
|   color ANSI with reversed text.  Any translations foreign to the
|   computer or to the caller online will be masked to their respective
|   outputs.
|
| - Modular capabilities.  The size of the BBS is not limited to memory
|   limitations, just how much free disk space you have!  It will retain
|   most environment information throughout all modules including user
|   information, color codes, bbs pointers and data.
|
| - Full Screen chat for ANSI and VT52. In ANSI, it uses VT52 on the
|   SysOp's side, and translates it into ANSI on the caller's side.  Also
|   incorporates a "normal" chat feature with word wrap.
|
| - Up to 10 conferences.  Each conference has it's own set of message
|   bases and file sections.
|
| - Ultra quick new message and new file scans. It takes less than one
|   half of one second to determine how many new messages or files a
|   caller has, no matter how many messages or files are on the board.
|
| - Up to 50 message bases and file sections on the board.
|
| - Message options: Two reply modes - normal reply, and "Reply with
|   Include" (which will include the parent message), also an option to
|   view the parent message and return without starting a complicated
|   trace.  A user may also send E-Mail to the sender of a message
|   without exiting the bases and going to E-Mail.
|
| - SysOp-definable main menu commands, responses, and all commands may
|   be bit-masked.  Allows a SysOp to add functions and modules to
|   RATSoft, along with creating their own command set.
|
| - A full scheduler which shell to programs or process batch files.
|   There may be an unlimited amount of entries in this scheduler.  This
|   may be used for things such as automatically backing up your data
|   files, running the mailer, online game maintenance programs.  It's
|   very flexible.
|
| - Supported Protocols: Zmodem, Ymodem-G, Ymodem Batch, Fmodem, 1k
|   Xmodem, Xmodem CRC, and standard Xmodem.
|
| - You may add or delete any protocols.  Just tell RATSoft the name of
|   the protocol, the file to shell to, and the parameters, and it's off!
|
| - Will run doors made for FoReM ST and ///Turbo Board, including Space
|   Empire Elite.
|
| - Files may be defined as being "free" or "offline" in the file areas.
|   A maximum of 2,147,483,647 files per section.  Yes, that's two
|   billion.  Each file may have it's own path, it is not mandatory to
|   have, for example, all your Application programs in a folder named
|   "APPLIC".
|
| - Advanced file options, including ARC Utilities, ZIP Comment support
|   (it will add a BBS ad for your system to any ZIP file), view text
|   from within archive, offline file list creator.
|
| - RATSoft supports LHARC, ARC, ZIP and ARJ archive formats.
|
| - Smart*Batch Uploading.  If a user fails to enter descriptions, the
|   BBS will immediately ask for them upon their next call.
|
| - A user does not receive any credit for their upload(s) until it has
|   been reviewed by a SysOp. This does away with those that upload
|   worthless material only to receive credits to download.
|
| - Universal batch marking.  A user may mark files ANYWHERE in the BBS
|   and download them all at once... this includes database files, files
|   attached to messages, and file-mail.
|
| - More than one file may be attached to any message or F-Mail.
|
| - Conditions.  One may add conditions to various sections of the BBS
|   including the message bases and news files.  These conditions set
|   criteria which must be met in order for the user to have access to
|   the information.  Some of the conditions are the 3 levels, time
|   limits, area code (if you wanted to post a news bulletin to locals,
|   or post one to everyone except locals, for example).
|
| - User definable message macros.  Macros may be chained with each
|   other or with message functions.
|
| - Search options for files and messages, both of which are fast.  It
|   takes under a second to scan 250 messages.
|
| - "Canvas" E-Mail and F-Mail.  Up to 15 people may be sent one message
|   or F-mail at once.
|
| - Each message base and file section may have it's own Sponsor, that
|   sponsor being able to preform limited SysOp functions in their
|   appropriate areas.
|
| - Any text file the board reads may be turned into a database file, or
|   Info-Form (Questionnaire) and attributes may be set for each file.
|   (Such as no Control-C, mandatory page break, environment variables
|   on/off, conditions, etc).
|
| - Variable commands that may be used ANYWHERE in the board.  Over 125
|   of them!  Variable commands may be used to insert information about
|   the user in text files, etc.  Similar to Express, only a lot more.
|
| - Upload to Download Ratio, Upload K to Download K ratio, Posts to
|   Calls Ratio, and Database Upload K to Database Download K ratio.  All
|   ratios are treated as percentages rather than numbers.  A "25" file
|   K ratio would signify that a user must have uploaded "x" K equal to
|   25% of what he's downloaded.
|
| - Port Locking, for maximum throughput.
|
| - Low Speed lockout.  A user below "xxxx" bps (SysOp definable) must
|   enter the low speed password in order to access the system or file
|   sections.
|
| - ( You were looking for this )   Crossnetting!  It will interface with
|   BinkleyTerm, but we recommend using the RATSoft specific mailer.  It
|   has not been finished at this writing, but it will be done soon.  It
|   will incorporate a new, more efficient method of crossnetting
|   including true bi-directional crossnetting.  In addition, much more
|   may be passed through the net than just messages and E-Mail, such as
|   data files for online games.
|
|   When RATSoft PC is released sometime in late 1992, its mailer will be
|   compatible with the ST mailer, opening up a world of choices for
|   crossnetting your message bases.
|
| - I will release frequent updates at no charge.  I will also promptly
|   fix any bugs that should arise.
|
| - Most Importantly: I am willing to work with every SysOp to make
|   RATSoft the best there is!  Unlike some other ST BBS authors, I'm
|   open to suggestions and comments.
|
| - An ADVANCED SCRIPT LANGUAGE! Includes decision making commands (IF/
|   ELSE IF/ELSE/ENDIF and REPEAT/UNTIL), supports array variables, and
|   powerful input/output routines which allow you to create quality
|   script programs for your users!
|
| Again, this is only an overview of a few of the options RATSoft~ST
| incorporates.  It can be yours for only $50.00, too!
|
| To do any BBS program justice, you must see it in action!  If you are
| at all interested in running a BBS program you can shame your PC
| friends with, check out RATSoft ST on the R0dent Labs Support Board at
| (714) 989-3381.
|
| Thank you!                                                (o1/28/92)
|                                                       rev. o3/o6/92
|
|