GEMini Atari/GEMini_Atari_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1993.iso/files/telecomm/dterm_1m/update.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 10KB | 197 lines

                        Updates and Things

    For those that would like to call my bbs direct, I have a new phone
number: [phone]. You can always find the latest version of Dterm
in the Sixteen File area and questions and comments are addressed in
message base #3. The bbs runs on an older HST so does support 9600 baud.

Dterm 1.m (6/24/91)
    There are now 2 ways to do batch uploads in Dterm. Dterm has always
supported batch uploads by having all the files in a folder (or root dir)
and passing *.* for a filename in the file selector.
    The new routines allow you to have up to 10 files from 10 different
paths, on any number of drives. To use this batch option there is a small
button in the protocol menu that has to have a check ON to make it work.
Once batch mode is enabled, you can get to the batch menu via 'alt u' from
term mode or the upload button on the main menu.

Batch Menu - there are 5 buttons here and 10 lines for the paths and
filenames.

    ADD - add paths and filenames via the file selector.
    CLEAR - clear ALL paths and filenames from the list.
    DELETE - clear 1 path and filename from the list. After high lighting
             the button, select the file that you want to delete.
    SEND - send all paths and filenames in the list.
    EXIT - return to term mode or main menu.

    Once the files have been sent the list is cleared for you (this might
change once I see how Turbo BBS handles batch uploads). If you have auto
zmodem and batch mode on, you get the batch menu as soon as a zmodem upload
packet is detected, just hit the send button and all the files will be sent
for you. You can also use batch mode for pre-loading 1 file and sending it
with any of the protocols (some folks have asked for this feature in the
past).

                   * Dterm 1.l was never released *

(6/19/91)
    A comma in a macro string will now cause a 2 second delay. Handy for
stacking multiple commands on 1 line. The bell will now ding 3 times when
you connect from the auto dialer.

(6/18/91)
    Revised the error routines when saving capture buffers.

(6/17/91
    Removed the 'Split' routines cuz color monitiors are a whole new ball
game. Removed all routines for resume zmodem as they did not work. Started
the routines for 'BATCH UPLOADS' cuz it appears that Turbo BBS is about to
support this is the very near future.

(5/25/91)
    Made my split screen program an internal part of Dterm. As I write
this, split screen is for mono chrome monitors only. The commands for
split screen are as follows:
    ALT 'S' from term mode will enter split screen mode.
    UNDO key will exit split screen mode.
    ENTER key on the key pad will send the type ahead buffer.

    When in split screen mode, none of the other key strokes for Dterm are
active. Also if you have capture turned ON, nothing from the split screen
will be saved to the capture buffer.

    Fixed the capture buffer so that it does not overflow if it is turned
on/off/on, ect. Fixed the abort dial in the auto dialer. Removed the
modem check (CTS check) so non flow control modems will not hang when
trying to use the auto dialer.

Dterm 1.k (5/1/91)
    The Time Out Value string in the auto dialer config screen is now
functional. Recommend value is 30 seconds, maybe longer for some long
distance services. Dterm will go back on-hook when the timer expires.
If you leave this line blank or put a zero in there, then Dterm will
depend on the strings for connect, busy, ect.
    You no longer have to 'echo' modem response for the auto dialer.
ATE can now be 0 or 1 and ATV will work with numeric or verbose. The only
problem with numeric is that each message from the modem has it's own
number. With verbose you can just use connect and it will handle connect
1200, connect 2400, ect...

Dterm 1.j (4/29/91)
                           * IMPORTANT *
    If you are going to use this or future versions of Dterm, you
    will have to generate new DT_CONFx.DAT and DT_DIALx.DAT files.
    Your old dial-dat file will load in ok but needs to add the modem
    config strings to the file. The config.dat file will be of little use.
    Be sure to check your protocol settings and path settings and resave!
    You might want to save a copy of your old DAT files just to be safe.

    Alt A from terminal mode will now bring up the auto dialer menu.
    Clicking on the title line of the main menu will now send a space/
back-space every 10 seconds so you will not be logged off a bbs (handy
for arcing files, formatting, ect). This will automatically be turned
OFF when you return to term mode, enter the auto dialer or start a file
transfer.
    All the lines in the auto dialer config menu are now functional
except for Wait For Connect. You should now be able to use numeric or
verbose modem responses. I still recommend verbose and the strings do
not have to be case dependent (I convert both the strings and modem
responses to lower case). Recommend strings are 1) Connect  2) Busy
3) No and a timer value from 0-4. These strings will be saved to
DT_DIALx.DAT.
    Added another auto macro that will be sent when you quit Dterm.
Handy for sysops that would like to restore values for their bbs program.
This will be saved to DT_CONFx.DAT. F7 can be used at anytime to send
this auto macro.
    You might notice that resume zmodem has been added to the protocol
menu again. It is NOT FUNCTIONAL at the moment. I checked back to the
original XYZ source code and it has NEVER been functional! I am not sure
if any program for the ST supports resume zmodem (Forem, Turbo, ect). If
the bbs programs support it then it will be added to Dterm. The append
function of zmodem works but did not add it cuz there seems to be little
use for it. Will add it if folks want it.
    The return key from any menu will now return you to the previous menu.

Dterm 1.i (4/12/91)
    Made some internal changes to the routines that auto save files
using the system path. The user should not see any changes other than
returning to the correct place (main menu or term mode).
    Added a new dialog box that you can pull up by clicking on
'Dterm Auto Dialer'. The first 4 strings are NOT functional but the
last one 'Time Out Value' is. You can enter a number from 0-9, with
larger numbers giving more time to the hang up string. This delay is
what is needed for redials, scan dialing and alt H from terminal mode.
If you do not put anything in this line, it defaults to 0, which is no
delay between redials (which is the same has version 1.0). To get the
same delay value that was used in versions 1.a-1.h use a 4. This value
will be saved in the dialer.dat file if you save it from the save
button on the auto dialer menu screen.
    The 'return key' will now exit the auto dialer.

(4/7/91)
    I try to read the 'Net' everyday to see what is going on and there
seems to be some confussion about Dterm cuz there haven't been any docs
included in the arcs that have been released lately. The reason for this
is very simple, most of the changes have been internal and do not need
alot of explaning.
    With the release of the Ste and 16 mhz accelerator boards there were
some things that had to be changed. I have also be working on the auto
dialer portion of the program so that it works on international telephone
lines. One other major concern to me and a few users, is the ability to
access ACC files.
    The one major thing that all users will notice is the delay between
redials and scan dialing. For people that had their moden configured the
way that Dterm wanted them, the auto dialer worked just fine. But alot of
folks had problems here and international phone systems are alot different
(even in my city, the phone line changes alot from one exchange to the
next). To slow things down was an easy way to make things work on a number
of phone systems. I will add a varible delay loop in the near future, so
folks can fine tune the dialer, but for now, it is slow (about 4 seconds
between redials).
    The problem for 16 mhz machinces has been fixed, but once again, for us
8 mhz folks, there is a noticable delay. I will also consider adding a
varible time loop here in the near future.

    There have been a couple of new key stroke commands added and they are
as follows.'

1) alt 'h' from term mode will send a hangup string to the modem and log you
   off.
2) undo from the main menu will bring up the quit alert.
3) alt 'a' from the main menu will clear the screen and bring up ACC's so
   you can run them - any key will return you to the normal main screen. I
   do not have alot of info on menu lines, so until I do, will have to run
   ACC's this way and will change it to a more conventional way in the
   future.

    Some of the things that I have been planing to add in the near future
are:

1) D_viewer will become part of Dterm and be able to send 'blocks' in ASCII
   mode.
2) Emulation for a number of terminals (finally got some good info on vt-52
   thru vt-320).
3) Open the auto dialer up so that it handles numberic and verbal responds.
4) Auto d/l's for all protocols that are batch.
5) The ability to batch mark files from all drives for uploading (this
   depends on Turbo BBS version 2 and it's release date).
6) A training (recording mode) for the auto dialer for auto log on.

    I hope this clears up some of the confussion of no docs and brings user's
of Dterm up to date. For any folks that would like to reach me directly with
comments or concerns, I run the GAS BBS in Washington * 206-745-4077 and you
are welcome to call anytime. Message base #3 is a good place for Dterm type
messages.

                        Final thoughts

    School has taken alot of my time as of late but things are now at a
manageable level and I hope to be able to return my attention back to Dterm.
I also know that Dterm has some real quirks in it and as more info is gathered
on the St operating system that these quirks will be replaced with more
'stanard routines'. All I can say is, I hope you enjoy using the program as
much as I have had writting it.

                                           Don, (4/7/91 - version 1.h)