� Area: FidoNet Echo: MUFFIN (Max support) �����������������������������������
Msg#: 54 Date: 21 Jun 95 23:07:00
From: Scott Dudley Read: Yes Replied: No
To: All Mark:
Subj: MAXIMUS 3.0 FEATURE LIST
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@MSGID: 1:249/106.1 2fe8de60
@PID: GED 2.41+ 670DK3
95.06.21
Maximus 3.0 development has now reached a stage where we can
talk about what will be present in the upcoming release. It
has been a while since the last major revision of Maximus,
so I hope that everyone finds it worth the wait.
There is also a small questionnaire at the bottom of this
message. This relates to the availability of printed
documentation for noncommercial users. If you would be
interested in ordering a printed manual for Maximus without
having to buy a commercial license, please see the bottom of
this message for more information.
Now, without further ado, I present the Maximus 3.0
specifications and feature list:
Operating System Support
========================
We are committed to supporting the following environments
for Maximus 3.0:
16-bit DOS (MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.3+)
32-bit OS/2 (OS/2 2.0, 2.1, or OS/2 Warp)
We are also pursuing a Win32 version of Maximus for Windows
95 and Windows NT. However, we do not guarantee that Win32
will be part of the official 3.0 release. A public beta
seems more than likely, but we cannot yet make any firm
commitments on Win32.
New Features
============
* Added MEX, the Maximus Extension Language. MEX is a true
programming language that includes features from the
BASIC, C and Pascal languages. MEX is easy to use, but it
also supports many advanced language constructs,
including function calls, block scoping, dynamic strings,
arrays, structures, pass-by-reference arguments, and
more.
MEX is a complement to MECCA, the original Maximus
scripting language. While MECCA is still fully supported,
many tasks can be simplified by using MEX scripts. MEX
programs can access many internal Maximus features and
functions, including the fields in the user record, the
message and file area data files, the file tag queue, and
much more. MEX supports over 100 internal functions that
allow user-developed programs to interface with an on-
line user.
As a testament to the power of MEX, Maximus 3.0 will ship
with a number of MEX system utilities and applications.
The release will include the sources for MEXBank, a MEX-
based time bank, and MEXChat, a split-screen chat
application. In addition, numerous parts of Maximus
itself have been converted to MEX, such as many of the
menu headers and display options.
* Hierarchical message and file area support. Both message
and file areas can be grouped into logical subsections.
Internal commands for area selection now automatically
recognize these subsections and allow users to move
easily through the hierarchy.
* Extensive support for RIP graphics. Maximus 3.0 will:
automatically detect RIP support, automatically size menu
output based on the RIP window size, display most
internal prompts using RIP graphics, allow the SysOp to
add both RIP and non-RIP strings to the system language
file, select special .RIP files for display instead of
.BBS files, and automatically send/display RIP scene and
icon files to the user.
Other points of interest related to RIP: the RIP
sequences are automatically filtered from the local SysOp
console. Both MECCA and MEX support an interface to the
RIP file-sending mechanism. The system also comes with a
complete set of RIP support files.
* Support for SysOp-defined privilege levels. The old
system of 12 user privilege levels has been expanded to
include a flexible set of user "classes" that can be used
to define the attributes of an arbitrary privilege level.
Numeric privilege levels are associated with each class,
so a purely-numeric privilege level system can be used if
desired. However, the SysOp can also assign synonyms to
each class (such as "Limited" or "Normal") for backwards
compatibility.
* Access Control Strings (ACS) have now replaced privilege
levels qualifiers. Menu commands can be restricted to
users with an arbitrary set of privilege levels, keys, or
other attributes. This differs from the previous "all
users of level X or greater" method of access control
used in Maximus 2.x.
* Support for local file attaches in Squish message areas.
This allows users to enter messages and upload files to
be sent to the addressee. Features such as file
compression and storage can be controlled by the SysOp.
* Added a "Reply in other area" menu option that allows
users to reply to a message in a location other than the
current area.
* Maximus-OS/2 now uses the Master Control Program (MCP)
for handling inter-process communications. MCP is a
multithreaded, 32-bit detached process that handles all
communications needs for Maximus nodes.
* Maximus-OS/2 supports "Session Monitor" (SM), a 32-bit
Presentation Manager LAN administration tool. SM allows
the SysOp to view, start, and stop remote Maximus tasks
that are running on a LAN. SM can also be used on a
local machine to view multiple Maximus sessions on the
desktop.
* Maximus-OS/2 supports a new REXX API for accessing the
Maximus user file.
* A message-tracking system for use in technical support
environments. Maximus can keep an audit trail of all
messages in certain areas, assign "ownership" of messages
to individuals, and produce detailed reports regarding
the status of various messages.
* Full support for CD-ROMs and other slow filesystems.
Maximus will copy files to a staging area before a
transfer and it will only access the drive when
absolutely necessary. Areas can also be specifically
excluded from new files searches.
* The internal user editor has been redesigned. The screen
layout is much more user-friendly, and all of the new
fields can be edited with only a few keystrokes.
* Support for nested menus. The Link_Menu and Return menu
commands can be used to create a multilevel menu
hierarchy, rather than the flat menu structure of Maximus
2.x.
* Optional support for user password encryption. This
feature uses the RSA Data Security "MD5" algorithm as a
one-way hash for storing passwords in the user file.
* A new menu option allows users to limit QWK message
downloads by message date.
* Added SoundBlaster support for Maximus-OS/2. Maximus can
now play your TUNES.BBS tunes on any SoundBlaster-
compatible card.
* A new "UMSGID" option that ensures that messages within
Squish-format areas always maintain the same message
numbers over the area's lifetime.
* Support for an unlimited number of tagged message areas.
* Menu commands can now be assigned to function keys and
cursor keys. Users must be run a terminal program that
supports "DoorWay mode" to use this feature.
* Browse now supports wildcard and group-based area
selection.
* Added the following fields to the user file: number of
files downloaded (total), number of files downloaded
(today), number of files uploaded, number of messages
read, number of messages posted, date of first call, date
of last newfiles scan, date of last password change, date
of birth, and more.
* Maximus now supports file descriptions up to 1024 bytes
in size.
* Automatic/manual file date support is now configurable
for each individual file area. FB will now automatically
parse dates and sizes that are embedded directly in the
file listing. Also added limited support for PCBoard-
style "line continuation characters" in file listings.
* Remote users can now optionally use the "local" external
message editor.
* Users can now tag message areas directly from the "More"
prompt within the message tag command.
Pricing Pricing Pricing
The price schedule and license agreement for Maximus 3.0
will remain unchanged. This means that:
- Maximus 3.0 will be freely available to noncommercial
users.
- Commercial licensing starts at US$99 for a two-line
version of Maximus (media only)
Commercial users who purchased Maximus 1.x must pay a
nominal upgrade fee to use Maximus 3.0.
** All Maximus 2.x users are automatically entitled to a
free electronic upgrade to Maximus 3.0. **
Documentation
=============
We are putting together a set of printed documentation for
Maximus 3.0, consisting of a ~450 page perfect-bound manual.
This manual will contain the contents of the current
operations and reference manuals, in addition to a
completely new 170 page section on the MEX language.
Printed documentation will be made available to commercial
users at a nominal charge. We have not yet set a policy on
printed documentation for noncommercial users. See below for
more information.
Availability
============
Maximus 3.0 should be available within the next two months.
Questionnaire
=============
This section applies to noncommercial users only.
At present, we are only planning to make the printed Maximus
documentation available to commercial users. If there is
enough support from the noncommercial user base, we will
consider making the documentation available separately.
For a documentation-only "license," we would need to charge
somewhere around US$25 (CAD$30) for the system
documentation. This would include the full perfect-bound
manual that comes with the commercial version, as described
above. It does not include a copy of the software or a
commercial license, but it does act as a handy reference for
noncommercial users.
However, we can only do this if enough noncommercial people
are interested in buying such a product.
IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PAYING THIS AMOUNT FOR A
PRINTED VERSION OF THE DOCUMENTATION, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM
YOU!
If you are interested, please send a _very_ short message
indicating such to either:
docs@lanius.com (Internet)
or
Docs at 1:249/106 (FidoNet)
The responses to this survey will be used to make our
decision on noncommercial documentation.
-!-
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