How to get more out of WebBoard version 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x with Rog's Managing Conferences System (version 1.0)

This describes freeware that I wrote which allows any virtual board manager (or WebBoard administrator) to precisely control the capabilities of users within conferences.

Specifically, each conference can be "managed" via four options: (1) whether new discussion threads are allowed; (2) whether replies to existing discussion threads are permitted; (3) whether users can delete their own posts; and (4) whether users can edit their own posts.

For example, the following partial screen capture was obtained from WebBoard's "Manage Conferences" page (after this system was installed):

This code is freeware.  You use it at your own risk.  No warrany of fitness for use or any other form of guarantee inheres.

You may use it and/or the source code in whole or in part for any otherwise legal purpose that you deem fit; however you may not claim legal ownership of same for legal purposes against anyone who's obtained it from an "independent source" (such as this web page).

1:  A warning about possible "timing" errors

2:  Install (1): Complete Install Zips

3:  Install (2): Standard Install

4:  Install (3): Rebuilding the source files, and/or making modifications

5:  Bug reports, comments, and change requests, etc.

6:  Other freeware products

7:  Version history information

8:  Acknowledgements

1:  A warning about possible "timing" errors

All users have a cookie that indicates the status of their conferences.  This cookie is updated from the file MC_Stat.Txt  (on the board's subfolder) at various times.

For all users, it's updated when they attempt to post a message.  For frames users, it's updated when the toolbar is refreshed.  For "no frames" users, it's updated whenever they read a post.

What this means is that a frames user who's logged in at the time you change a conference's status will not have their cookie updated until they log in again (or attempt to post).  So they could see a "reply" or "post" button on the post-reading page that's misleading.

Once they attempt to do a new post, their cookie will be updated, and they'll receive a short message that explains why they were (unexpectedly) refused the option to post a new thread or a reply.

If a frames user tries to illegally edit a post  (in a conference whose status was changed to prohibit edits after they last logged in), the previous paragraph won't apply.  This is due to a WebBoard bug, namely: WB-INCLUDE files and open scripts aren't processed when posts are edited.  This may occasionally cause some minor confusion, although this possiblity is rare.

To minimize the likelihood of these errors, I recommend that you install the system, and then ask all users to close all their browser windows.  This will force their browsers to "refresh" their pages, and ensure that only the most current copy of the MC_CStat cookie is available.

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2:  Install (1): Complete Install Zips

If you want this documentation, as well as all the included zip files, WebBoard 4/5 users can download mc4.zip instead.  WebBoard 6 users should download mc6.zip.

Once you download the complete zip file, you'll still have to follow the rest of the install instructions.

This system isn't currently supported for the "modern" layout of WebBoard 6.  If you need such an animal, please contact me.

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3:  Install (2): Standard Install

For WebBoard 4/5 users, the install file is: mc_rel4.zip.

WebBoard 5 users should copy "read5.html" to read.html", "postmsg5.html" to "postmsg.html", and "postmsg-f5.html" to "postmsg-f.html."

For WebBoard 6, use: mc_rel6.zip.

This system isn't currently supported for "modern" layout of WebBoard 6.  If you need such an animal, please contact me.

These files should be placed on the folder of the board that you designate for the Thread Ordering system.  Note that there is a subfolder called "help" in each of the zips: the files on this folder must end up on the corresponding subfolder of the board.

If you've customized any of the WebBoard pages that are in my install, you'll have to either propagate your customizations to my pages, or propagate my alterations to your customized pages.

If your copy of Webboard isn't installed on C:\Webboard, or if the HTML files aren't being kept on C:\WebBoard\HTML, then you'll have to modify MC_WrtF.js.  In the event that you're not sure whether these conditions are true, the best thing to do is to install the system, and then go to the conference management page.  Save the form.  If you don't see an error message, then everything's okay. If you do see an error message, you'll then need to consult your system administrator. Assuming that s/he's cooperative (!), you'll then need to use Windows Notepad to modify MC_WrtF.js, to change the hard-coded server file names.  (Be sure that Edit | Word Wrap is off).  If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, I'll do it for you: just contact me.

Here's a list of the install files, along with the role played in the various operations:

WebBoard name or name on server: Purpose:
confmanage.html This is the "conference management" page from WebBoard, which has been extended for the additional form.  This form allows WebBoard administrators and virtual board managers to set the four options for each conference.
mc_cstat.txt This is the "WB-INCLUDE" file that contains that statuses of the various conferences.  Each conference number is followed by a character: t means that no new threads are allowed; r means that no replies are permitted; e means that users can't edit their own post; and d means that they can't delete their posts.  Of course, these limitations don't apply for WebBoard administrators, virtual board managers, or conference moderators.
mc_wrtf.js This is the "tag" script that's called by help?mc_wrtf, (i.e. mc_wrtf.html on the help subfolder).  That's how the entries on the "manage conference" page actually get written to the file mc_cstat.txt.
help\mc_wrtf.js See the entry for mc_wrtf.js.
msgdelete.html This is the message deletion page.  In the event that a non-staff user manages to type the post deletion URL on his or her own, this page will prevent them from actually deleting the post  (if such deletions are disallowed in this conference).
nftoolbar.html This is WebBoard 6's "no frames toolbar," i.e. the page that loads for "no frames" users, to simulate the toolbar.  Basically, the only change here is to set the MC_CSTAT cookie to the value of the file MC_CStat.Txt (as explained above).  This file only exists in the WebBoard 6 install zip.
postmsg-f.html This is the posting page for frames users: it blocks out users who shouldn't be able to post, in the event that they're clever enough to "hand type" the posting URL.
postmsg-f5.html Same as above, but for WebBoard 5.  This file doesn't exist in the WebBoard 6 install zip.
postmsg.html This is the posting page for "no frames" users: it blocks out users who shouldn't be able to post, in the event that they're clever enough to "hand type" the posting URL.
postmsg5.html Same as above, but for WebBoard 5.  This file doesn't exist in the WebBoard 6 install zip.
read.html This is the post-reading page that's used to display the last post in a thread.  If a link isn't allowed to a particular user, this page won't display it.
read5.html Same as above, but for WebBoard 5.  This file doesn't exist in the WebBoard 6 install zip.
readfull.html Same change as in read.html, above.
toolbar.html For frames users, the file MC_CStat.Txt is included, and the contents of this file are "exported" to the MC_CSTAT cookie.
topics.html For "no frames" users, this file has a similar function to that of nftoolbar.html, above.  For all users, this file sets the MC_STAFF cookie, which indicates whether the user is a staff member (a WebBoard administrator, virtual board manager, or conference moderators).

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4:  Install (3): Rebuilding the source files, and/or making modifications

If you want to modify the system, you'll need to download the source code.  For WebBoard 4/5 users, this is in: mc_src4.zip.  For WebBoard 6 users, this is in mc_src6.zip.

Note that these zip files are contained within the "complete" install download, as described in section 2.

You'll need to unzip these files into a new folder on your hard drive.

After you do so, you'll have to install my "JavaScript MakeFile" system onto that same folder: http://www.rs-freeware.org/jsm.

Within the JavaScript MakeFile system, I offer specific instructions for WebBoard users, at: http://www.rs-freeware.org/jsm/jsmdoc.htm#WebBoard_Regenerate.

In a nutshell: after installing the "JavaScript MakeFile" system, you'll have to modify the "make" file: mc.mak.

This is the line that you'll have to change: 


DEST=f:\\w\\html\\mc

DEST should have the folder name of the board from which you wish to run the thread sequencing system.

Note that double backslashes are required to separate folder names.

For more information about folder names, please see my DOS primer.

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5:  Bug reports, comments, and change requests, etc.

You can e-mail me at rog@NOSPAM_rs-freeware.org if you encounter problems, or think that you've found a bug.

I can also be reached by telephone in the U.S. from about 9 AM U.S. central time to 5 PM U.S. central time at: 765-742-6705.  If you don't get an answer, you can use my numeric pager at: 765-417-0664 ... I'll try to call you back, if you're in the U.S, Canada, or Mexico.

Please supply me with as much information as you can about your server, your version of WebBoard, any browser or Operating System that was involved, including the WebBoard Server's Operating System  (9x, NT, 2K, XP?).  Also, please provide any configuration files, or customized WebBoard files that you were using.  Keep in mind that I might actually have to have the opportunity to try what you were doing, in order to diagnose the problem.

BTW, I don't gaurantee to answer all e-mail or fix all bugs, etc.  Please remember that this is freeware, and that my time and resources are limited.

That said, I've put a lot of work into designing, coding, testing, and documenting this product, and I'm probably going to be fairly interested in any comments anyone has, fixing any bugs, and/or extending the scope to applications that strike me as being potentially valuable to a large number of users.

Naturally, if you're willing to hire me to make changes for your special-purpose application, I'm certainly willing to consider your offer.  My standard rate is $75/hr., but I may charge less if the work is to be done for a small business (less than 25 employees), or a nonprofit organization (in the latter case, I might even do it on a gratis basis  :-)  I may also consider charging you nothing if you're suggesting an improvement that I feel is of value to a large number of other users.

You can find out more about me, including references, and a list of clients/projects at: http://www.rs-freeware.org/rog.

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6:  Other freeware products

WebBoard users will find lots of WebBoard freeware at: http://www.rs-freeware.org/freeware.htm.

Anyone who writes JavaScript  (regardless of whether this is written on the client or server side),  deals with SQL, or who happens to be interested in obtaining the full power available from DOS may wish to check out http://www.rs-freeware.org/free2.htm

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7:  Version history information

This is version 1.0, released on Nov. 1, 2002.

This documentation was generated by Rog's FAQHack: a DOS/Windows-based freeware program that handles simple macro preprocessing with special support for FAQs and other structured HTML documents.

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8:  Acknowledgements

I'd like to thank RK, a client who wishes to be nameless, for encouraging me to develop an earlier  (and less powerful)  version of this system.

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