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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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How good is the Internal ProBoard Message Editor?
ProBoard v2.16 comes with an Internal Full Screen ANSI Message Editor which is basically a stripped down version of TheEdit.
The input strokes from the keyboard with the built-in editor is very fast as compared to other editors that are external.
What ANSI Full Screen Editors are available?
There are many ANSI Full Screen Editors available in two flavors, the PEX and the EXE formats.
By being so compatible with other bulletin board systems, ProBoard will also work with any of the [RemoteAccess Message Editors].
Just remember to use the equivalent ProBoard code when a RemoteAccess code is called for in the installation and configuration of that Editor!
Which version of the editor is better, the PEX or the EXE?
PEX and EXE ANSI Full Screen Editors seem to load in about the same amount of time. With different computers and processor speeds, your mileage may vary!
PEX versions are easier to install but TheEdit seems to be the only PEX which has been very reliable in the past.
EXE versions seem to be a lot more reliable than PEX versions, but unless you have a fast machine, they could take a little while to load.
The fastness of external door loading as compared to the built-in ProBoard Message Editor depends on the routine you use to call up the door. More about this down the page!
It appears that the design of the door you are using and the fossil routines used by that particular door affect the speed of its keystroke processing. Some external fossil driven doors process keystrokes much faster than others by comparison to one another.
As new PEX and EXE Message Editors are being developed, it will be a challenge to see which one is better than the other by doing it the old fashion way - installing and trying it out yourself - sometimes seeing is believing!
Where can I get these Editors?
PEXes that are listed here may or may not have the support from the author anymore. As with all developed software, once you move onto a newer version of ProBoard, some PEXes will require recompiling to be forward compatible.
As far as the third party developed EXEs are concerned, only the last known version is shown. If source code of a product has been taken over by another developer, the new product will be downloadable here and the old product will not be supported any further in this FAQ!
The last version of any software that is freeware will also be listed here for downloading whether it is still supported or not!
| PEX flavor - Full Screen Editors | ||||||
| Editor | Version | YR | Ware | File ID | Download Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FullEdit | 0.71 | 95 | Free |
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[Sweden] [USA] | |
| NSDEdit | 2.20 | 94 | Free |
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[USA] | |
| TheEdit | 2.11 | 96 | Share |
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[Spain] [Sweden] [USA] | |
| TopEdit | 1.04 | 97 | Share |
|
[Sweden] [USA] | |
| ||||||
| EXE flavor - Full Screen Editors | ||||||
| Editor | Version | YR | Ware | File ID | Download Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCTEdit | 0.04g | 98 | Free |
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[Author - Canada] [USA] | |
| GEdit | 2.10 | 94 | Share |
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[Sweden] [USA] | |
| Pedit | 2.70 | 97 | Free |
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[Spain] [USA] | |
| QuikEdit | 2.41 | 98 | Share |
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[Author - USA] | |
| SabreEDIT | 1.72a | 98 | Share |
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[Author - Canada] [USA] | |
| SyncEdit | 3.05 | 96 | Share |
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[USA] [USA] | |
| TopEd | 1.00 | 91 | Share |
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[Spain] [USA] | |
| YEdit | 1.00 | 96 | Free |
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[USA] | |
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What are the special "How To Install" notes for Editors?
ProBoard does not take very long to load an external door, such as an EXE or COM Editor door, with menu function 7. PEX doors run internally in ProBoard while EXE/COM doors run externally under the present Operating System (OS) shell.
Function 7:SHELL instructs ProBoard to execute an external program through a shell. This program has to do its own serial I/O, so ordinary programs will only work if run locally. Command line parameters and special codes that resolve at run-time will be replaced by a value or a string.
More information about function 7 is found in the ProBoard
Operating manual under "Menu Function Summary - Function 7:SHELL".
Quick Door Loads
Contributed by: Mike Ehlert (PC Micro)
To load doors as quickly as possible with ProBoard, include the special code *H on the command line. This tells ProBoard to leave the fossil "hot" or active when shelling to the door.
Doors that work with the *H option load quicker in ProBoard, as ProBoard pauses for about one (1) second before loading an EXE door if *H is not used. This pause is unique to ProBoard, and does not occur with other similar BBS packages.
However, this may not work with all doors, as some doors expect the fossil to be turned off before the door is executed. The only way to know for sure it to test it remotely (which is not easy unless your computer has at least 2 modems).
If you use NetModem/32 as your fossil driver, the *H always works when shelling to doors, but when using the traditional fossil drivers (ADF,BNU,X00) some doors work with *H, while others do not. So it's best to use your dial-in lines when testing *H.
If you do not use the *H, ProBoard takes extra time to load a door, compared to RemoteAccess which loads type-7 doors without any noticeable delay.
Remember, when first installing an Editor program, see if it comes with an option to not initialize the fossil, so that with the option turned off, the Editor may work with *H.
How can I display more than one Editor online?
You may want to use the FreeWare PEX in PEDS400.zip file which
allows users to select between eight (8) different full screen editors
while they are online!
Download from:
[Sweden]
[USA]
What Message Quoters are available for ProBoard?
Olivier Debonne
from [Virtual Soft Productions]
has developed a FreeWare PEX called MsgQuoter which is used with
Full Screen editors to add text quotes and to add a signature line to
outbound messages.
Download from:
[Belgium]
[USA]
Olivier also provides a FreeWare data file for MsgQuoter 1.0 or later.
Download from:
[Belgium]
[Sweden]
[USA]