This is a short README to get you started. It's pretty basic. Yes, I know. This isn't a satellite trajectory tracking system, just a chat script. I'll answer a few pre-planned FAQs and move on to installation. Q. Why another chat script? A. Because this one is not too bandwidth intensive and in HTML/JS/Perl. I've seen some Java applets, and I didn't like them for those opposite reason. I had a bandwidth limit, and since MBs are in HTML, why not a web-based chat script in HTML (which works seemlessly into your current page, instead of a bulky grey Java box)? Besides, it was fun to make. Q. If this script refreshes the message pane so much, doesn't that cost in b/w? A. Actually, it's not that much. HTMLSpeak! makes sure that it doesn't refresh that much when there's nobody on, and it will shut off if it hasn't been touched after 15 minutes. If your web server/browser is set up properly, it won't even load the page if there isn't any new messages. And as long as you don't change the message HTML too much (and add 20k worth of crap), it won't kill your b/w. (If you really need that much in your message HTML, consider using LINK, IFRAME, OBJECT, or other HTML tags that could cache static data into a seperate file.) Bandwidth considerations are a fairly major point when I program this thing. After all is said and down, the worse you'll see is a high hit count on the message page, when you look at your web site report. Q. But, if it doesn't use that much b/w, does that mean it's not in real-time? A. Do you really think ICQ/AIM messages are in "real-time"? They may be "instant messages", but they still take 5-10 seconds to reach their destination. IRC is a little faster, but does it really matter if it's 5 seconds (IRC) or 20 seconds (HTMLSpeak!) before it reaches the other person? In any case, HTMLSpeak! waits for 20 seconds (by default) before refreshing the message pane (during a conversation), and this can be changed to suit your needs. It also refreshs every time you type a new message. I feel this is good enough for most everybody's needs. Q. Do I need RPGBoard for this to work? A. No, of course not. There are some neat features that will work with the RPGBoard user database, but most everything else works without it. Q. Why do you have that stupid exclaimation point on HTMLSpeak!? A. Because it's my program, foo', and I'm a phuk!n 31337 b@st@rd! -------------------- Installation: First, change all of the HTML files to suit your needs, but try to leave anything important alone. Play it safe and try it with the defaults first, though at the very least, you'll need to change the locations of files to make sure they point in the right places. (The location of the HTMLSpeak! CGI program is a good start. Oh, and leave the "?mode=FS"-looking stuff alone.) Stuff all of the *.html files in their own directory, like /htmlspeak/. (It's a good idea that you keep index.html as index.html, or at least Default.htm, if you use IIS. More on this later.) That done, you'll need to edit the htmlspeak.cgi file to change a few variables. I'll baby you along with some simple explainations: ---- $public_www - Your public www directory. Really, this is just a shortcut to make life easier for the rest of the variables. $mesgfile - Location of the message.html file $onlinefile - Location of the online.html file $prvmsg_file - Where HTMLSpeak! creates its private message file. You really should change the numbers on it to make it unique. (This is why you should keep the index.html un-renamed.) $mainurl - The default "start page", where HTMLSpeak! starts (and exits). $hs_url - URL to the main HTMLSpeak! page $fs_url - URL to the fullscreen page $mesgurl - URL to the message pane page $onlineurl - URL to the online pane page $cgi_url - URL to the CGI file $min_refresh - Time (in seconds) before it refreshs, while idle $max_refresh - Time (in seconds) before it refreshs, while chatting $maxtime - Time (in seconds) before the message pane idles out and shuts off $maxlines - Maximum number of lines in the message pane $maxchars - Maximum number of characters in a message # Only if you have RPGBoard installed, otherwise don't uncomment it $rpgboard_dir - Location of your RPGBoard CGI directory # Only if you DON'T have RPGBoard installed $use_html - 0=No HTML, 1=No IMG/sound tags, 2=No table tags, 3=No body tags, 4=No applet/script tags, 5=All HTML tags $bodytag - Your body tag. Please leave the JS Load properties alone! $sysfont - Main system font $namefont - Font for names $mesgfont - Font for messages $cgi_font - Font for CGI output ---- All done. (Did I say a "few" variables?) Now throw this CGI file into your CGI directory (or in your main HTMLSpeak!, if it'll work in there), and put an exec bit on (keyword: CHMOD 755). Now browse to the main HTMLSpeak! directory, and experiment from there! See, it wasn't that hard... -- Brendan Byrd/SineSwiper Computer techie, Perl hacker, and all-purpose Internet guru Resonator Software