C*Base

By

Gunther Birznieks

(Updated by David Weinehall)

Introduction:

The C*Base waiting for call screen.

Beyond the Big-Three, this is easily the most impressive BBS program for the Commodore 64 I've come across. And perhaps that has a lot to do with its influence.

If you've been reading my BBS pages, you know I attribute many programs to certain influences, and gauge their quality in light of how high they strove. Well, the author of C*Base chose C-Net to mimic, and did a FANTASTIC job. **

** Well, this is not quite correct. The author emailed me later and explained that CMBBS and Color 64 were the original influences, but that numerous C-Net users pestered him into adding certain features. He pointed out that the system is compiled BASIC, like CMBBS.

The C*Base waiting for call screen.

The message maker on this baby is AMAZING. I have NEVER seen more options or power in an online line-editor EVER! Also impressive is the level of SysOp support provided, including an extremely powerful SubOp feature list in both the message base area and transfers area. The color support and modification support is also unsurpassed... it almost puts Color 64 to shame in that respect. Add all this to some very modern hardware support, and you have a program WELL worth running, even today.

If there are any negatives to this program, it would be the one way in which the author did NOT copy C-Net, and that's in the structure of the message bases. However, this is easily forgivable considering all other features.

The Facts:

C*Base has a web site here.

Hardware Information

Computer    :   Commodore 64 or 128 in 64 mode
Video       :   40 columns, with online 80 column formatting support
Drives      :   All CBM, full CMD (partitions, and subdirs)
Modems      :   1670 (new and old), Avatex, Swiftlink (300-9600)
Input       :   Keyboard
Output      :   Screen or printer optionally
RAM use     :   Unknown
Special     :

General

Pgm Struct  :   Numerous, large, self-sufficient programs.
Menu Struct :   Word entry system from highly modular menus
Translation :   ASCII, PETSCII
Access      :   14 levels, highly definable, SubOps
Handle/ID   :   "Alias"s allowed, users listed by ID; w/alias graphics!
User info   :   Name, last call, phone, access, birthday, computer, etc.
User Logs   :   Name, date, uploads/downloads, posts
Calls/Time  :   Call, time limits differ by access levels
Network     :   The configurator hints at some sort of proprietary system
Customizing :   Highly
  Programs  :   Compiled BASIC, but offline string editor provided
  Displays  :   Menus and displays are SEQ files, modifiable
  Commands  :   Mostly hard coded.
Areas       :   Highly modular system
  E-mail    :   Separate menu
  Messages  :   Separate menu
  Transfers :   Separate menu
  Network   :   Unknown, but some of it is definitely integrated
  Programs  :   Separate menu
  Text      :   Separate menu
  User Cmds :   From main & email menus
  SysOp     :   Separate menu, and integrated functions
  Voting    :   N/A
  News      :   At logon, and main menu
  Help      :   File off main menu
Other       :

SysOp Utilities and Support

Offline     :   Full configurator, no editors
Online      :   Access editor, chat, mostly unknown
Remote      :   Full drive support, file editors, user editor
On-L Display:   Flashing window w/ ID, handle, phone, access, blocks
W.F.C. Utils:   Terminal, numerous quick logons, mail, logs
Chatting    :   From any prompt
User        :   Editor available; also call-back validations
Msg Bases   :   Offline configurator for bases, integrated SubOp support
Transfers   :   Offline configurator for bases, integrated SubOp support
Programs    :   Configurator offline only
Network     :   No clue, havn't seen it-- think it exists
Drives      :   Complete drive support
Terminal    :   Two programs, one is full featured. Other is quick.

News

Structure   :   As a file readble at logon
Header      :   None set
Weeding     :   By SysOp
Display     :   At logon, or on demand

Messages

Structure   :   Linear, unthreaded system
Bases       :   Named bases, listed by number
Limits      :   Message limits per base
            :   Enforced during auto-maintenance
Reading     :   Forward reading only?
Headers     :   Name, city, date, time, subject
Format      :   Text, or color text
Writing     :   As new posts only
Anonymous   :   Allowed with access
Network     :   Assumed support
Other       :

Message Editor

Structure   :   AMAZING Line editor
Commands    :   Period in first column and/or Control-key
Editing     :   Search/replace, rewriting, insert, delete, justify, etc.
Formatting  :   Word wrap, macros, MCI codes for special functions
Graphics    :   Full color/graphics, cursors, macros, alias support

Transfers

Bases       :   Named bases, listed by number
Storage     :   Directory files for each bases
Limits      :   Enforced by SysOp/SubOp only
Credits     :   Credit ratio system based on posts/uploads implemented
Protocols   :   Punter (multi), Xmodem
Headers     :   Name, blocks, type, date
Selection   :   By number
Listing     :   Directories, new listings, about files
Network     :   Not supported (I presume)
Other       :

Text Libraries

Structure   :   Named library bases, listed by number
Storage     :   As SEQ files
Network     :   Not supported (I presume)
Other       :

E-Mail

Structure   :   Separate menu off the main menu
Sending     :   By ID or Handle, or as carbon copies
Receiving   :   At logon, or on demand
Network     :   Supported (I presume)
Other       :

Program Libraries

Structure   :   As a list of programs off the main menu
Programs    :   Seperate compiled BASIC programs, explicit interaction
Network     :   Not supported (I presume)
Other       :


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