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DDDDDDDDDD IIIIIIII AAAAAAA LL
DD DD II AA AA LL
DD DD II AA AA LL
DD DD II AA AA LL
DD DD II AAAAAAAAAAA LL
DD DD II AA AA LL
DDDDDDDDDD IIIIIIII AA AA LLLLLLLLL
Version 1.21
Released February 13th, 1990
Copyright 1990, Hasmatallie A. Khan
All rights Reserved
Introduction
────────────
Welcome, and thank you for trying DIAL. DIAL is a telephone directory /
dialer for IBM-PCs and compatibles. DIAL features an integral international
area code / time zone finder and full mouse support. The telephone directory
size is limited only by the size of your hard disk and a search can find as
many 'hits' as can fit in memory. All data / system files (except the
program, of course) are plain ASCII files and as such can be edited with any
ASCII text editor.
The program should work with any Hayes compatible modem and has been tested
with Hayes, MultiTech and Everex modems. Systems tested on include IBM-XT,
IBM-AT, CompuAdd, FiveStar, Toshiba and Tandy.
Support
───────
Support is free and unlimited for registered users of DIAL. If you do not
register, well... send us a message anyway and we'll think about it. If
you have any suggestions or comments about the program then we'll be glad
to hear from you even if you're not registered. Registered users also
receive free telephone support.
How to contact the Author
─────────────────────────
CompuServe Mail : 72770,1507
U.S Mail: : 15 Southpoint Dr., #307
Dorchester, MA 02125
Channel1 BBS : 617-354-8873
Registration
────────────
DIAL is a copyrighted program. It is not public domain. The program and
associated data files are distributed as shareware. You are authorized to
use it for a limited time for evaluation purposes. If you are satisfied that
this program fulfills a need for you and find yourself using it on a regular
basis, you are ethically obligated to register and pay for it. The cost of
the program is $50 and a registration form is included in the appendix to
this manual or press Alt-R when in the program to print a registration form.
You are encouraged to copy and redistribute, either to friends or by uploading
to BBS's, the unregistered version of this program provided all copyright
screens are intact. The documentation must not be modified in any way and all
files included in the original distribution package must be distributed
together. The program package is distributed as XDIAL###.ZIP, where '###'
represents the version number. This filename must not be changed.
Corporate and site licenses agreements are available at reduced rates upon
request.
Warranty
────────
This product is distributed 'as is' with no expressed or implied warranty.
The author claims no responsibility for any damages caused by the use or
misuse of this program. The author will not be responsible for any losses
incurred, directly or indirectly, from the use of this product.
Other Products
──────────────
The following shareware programs are also available from the author:
DBSIZE A database design utility for ORACLE Database Administrators.
The program assists in determining database space requirements
for ORACLE databases. The program runs on an IBM-PC or
compatible but generates output for ANY hardware / Operating
System combination on which ORACLE runs. It features editable
definition files for quick 'what if' analysis.
This is a program that was originally commercially for $249
and the exact version is now available $50.
Acknowledgements
────────────────
This software was developed with the excellent CXL shareware function library
written by Mike Smedley (BBS: 512-590-0460).
Distribution Files
──────────────────
The program is shipped with the following files:
dial.exe - The DIAL program file.
dial.cfg - A sample configuration file.
acfile.dat - File containing national and international area
codes and time zone information.
sample.pho - A sample telephone directory.
dial.doc - The DIAL documentation file.
dinstall.com - Automatic installation batch program.
The files DIAL.EXE and PHONES.PHO are required for the program to run. All
others are optional. However, the program will create a configuration file
a(DIAL.CFG) every time it is run if the file does not exist. It will also
create a log file (default DIAL.LOG) if the call logging feature is enabled
and the log file does not exist.
INSTALLATION
────────────
Automatic Installation
──────────────────────
1. Go to the directory where the DIAL files are located and type:
dinstall
You will be asked to enter the pathname of the directory where the program
and the data files will reside. Enter the pathname as (for example):
C:\USR\BIN\ and D:\DIAL\DATA\
The files will then be copied to the appropriate directories.
The program will prompt you to indicate weather you wish to update
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you respond 'YES', you will be prompted to
select the drive from which your computer boots. A statement to set the
DIAL environment variable will be added to the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT.
If you type 'NO', you will have to edit the file and add the environment
variable statement. See the "Manual Installation" section for details.
That's it! Now simply type 'dial Name' at your command line prompt to dial
the number.
Manual Installation
───────────────────
1. Copy the program file (DIAL.EXE) into a directory on your executable
path.
2. Copy the data files (DIAL.CFG, ACFILE.DAT, SAMPLE.PHO, DIAL.DOC) to the
directory in which you wish to store the data files and the log file.
All other files can be deleted.
3. Set the environment variable 'DIAL' in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to point
to the 'data_dir' directory specified in the previous step.
e.g: If your data directory is 'C:\USR\DIAL\DATA', edit the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file and add the line:
SET DIAL=C:\USR\DIAL\DATA\
4. Set any other environment variables you wish to use. (See section on
Environment Variables).
CONFIGURATION
─────────────
If the program is started with the -c switch or the configuration utility
called from within the program (Alt-C), the following window will be
displayed:
╒════════[ DIAL Configuration ]═════════╕
│ │
│ Phone List: PHONES.PHO │
│ │
│ Area Code File: ACFILE.DAT │
│ │
│ Log File: DIAL.LOG │
│ │
│ Log Calls: YES │
│ │
│ Sound: ON │
│ │
│ Dial Prefix: │
│ │
│ Area Code: 1-617 │
│ │
│ Modem Port: 1 │
│ │
│ Case Sensitive: YES │
│ │
╘═══════════════════════════════════════╛
You may change any (or all) of the listed items. For a list of editing
keys while within the entry field, see appendix B.
1. The name of your DIAL directory file.
2. The name of the file containing area code data.
3. The name of the log file in which call information should be stored.
The program will create this file if the log switch is set and the file
does not exist.
4. Call log switch. The valid values are 'YES', to add all calls to the
log file, or 'NO' if calls should not be logged.
5. Sound effects switch. 'ON' by default, or set to 'OFF' to eliminate
those irritating buzzes and beeps.
6. Dial prefix. This is a character string that will be dialed before
ANY number is dialed. Useful if you have to dial a number to get an
outside line from work for instance.
7. Current area code. Any numbers in the directory which begin with the
string specified here will be dialed WITHOUT the area code.
8. Modem port. Enter the number of the communications port to which your
modem is connected.
9. The default setting for case sensitivity. Set to 'YES' if you wish
the searches to be case sensitive or 'NO' if case should be ignored.
Can be overridden with the '-i' switch.
When all the changes are made, the configuration disposition menu is
displayed:
╒════════[ DIAL Configuration ]═════════╕
│ │
│ Phone List: PHONES.PHO │
│ │
│ Area Code File: ACFILE.DAT │
│ │
│ Log File: DIAL.LOG │
│ ╔════[ Disposition Menu ]═════╗
│ Log Calls: YES ║ ║
│ ║ Save and Initialize ║
│ Sound: ON ║ ║
│ ║ saVe Only ║
│ Dial Prefix: ║ ║
│ ║ Initialize Only ║
│ Area Code: 1-617 ║ ║
│ ║ Continue ║
│ Modem Port: 2 ║ ║
│ ║ Quit! ║
│ Case Sensitive: YES ║ ║
│ ╚═════════════════════════════╝
╘═══════════════════════════════════════╛
Save and Initialize Selecting this option will store the entered
data in the configuration file and set the
the parameters from the current session to
be the same.
SaVe Only Will save the entered parameters in the
configuration file but the parameters for
the current session will remain the same as
when the program was started.
Initialize Only Sets the current session's parameters to
those just entered but will not save the
information in the configuration file.
Continue Will move the cursor back to the configuration
window to allow you to make further changes.
Quit! Will exit the configuration function without
either setting the current values or saving
the data in the configuration file.
If a configuration file is not found when the program is started, a default
configuration is created. The default values are as specified on the sample
screen above.
Hint: If it is necessary to dial a '1' before the area code for long
distance calls from your area, do not specify '1' as a prefix,
since the 1 will also be dialed before local calls. The phone
numbers added to the data file can include the '1' before the
area code as part of the number and the 'default area code' entry
in the configuration file (or the D_DAC environment variable) be
set to 1 plus your local area code.
e.g: If you live in the 212 area code, your default area code
will actually be:
1-212
and entries in the data file will actually be:
1-718-555-1234
1-212-555-1562
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
─────────────────────
DIAL looks for and uses the following environment variables:
DIAL This variable is mandatory if the program will be
used from any directory other than the one in which
DIAL was originally installed. The value should be
the pathname of the directory which will contain all
of the files associated with the program. The
pathname should end with a backslash ('\').
All of the following environment variables are optional. If defined,
the values specified in the environment takes precedence over the
configuration file.
MODEMPORT Contains the Communications port to which the modem is
connected. Valid ports are 1, 2, 3 and 4.
D_PLIST The name of the telephone number list file that will
be used by the program. This provides an easy way
to temporarily change the phone list file for the
current session.
D_ACODE The name of the file containing the area code data.
D_LOG The filename of the call log file.
D_PREFIX This string should contain any characters which should
be dialed before the telephone number. For example,
any long distance access codes. Note that this prefix
will be dialed before ALL numbers.
D_DAC Default or current area code. Any telephone numbers
with this area code will be dialed without the area-
code.
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES
─────────────────────
The following switches are recognized on the command line:
-c Run the configuration utility.
-i Turn case sensitivity off. By default, the searches on
the directory are case sensitive.
-a Use to add a new entry/entries to the phone list file. Will
exit the program after the entries have been added. The
phone list file must exist before the program is run.
-s Will turn the sound on if the configuration file sets it off
by default.
-m Used to force the system into monochrome mode.
-g Used to force the system into color mode.
The program tries to check the configuration of the hardware
that it is being run on. However, it does sometimes get lost
on strange setups. For example, on some two monitor systems
where the default display is the color monitor, it will not
run properly on the monochrome monitor. Using the -m switch
when trying to run on the monochrome monitor will usually fix
this problem. If you find any other situations under which
the program will not run, please let us know and we will try
to resolve the problem.
USING DIAL
──────────
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Whenever you're using DIAL, the one most important thing to remember is the
<F5> key. Pressing <F5> at any time in the program will provide help on the
particular function you're using.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DIAL is invoked from the DOS command line by typing
dial Name
The search for 'Name' is by default case sensitive but can be changed (See
CONFIGURATION). If the search string is listed in the directory with the
first letter capitalized, the name typed on the command line must have the
first letter capitalized. Since the program simply looks for the pattern in
each line of the file, any part of the name, or really any string can be
entered. For example, if you wish to know (for whatever reasons) all the
numbers in the 212 area code, just type 'dial 212'.
Command line switches can be specified before or after the name. Switches
on the command line take precedence over environment variables and
environment variables take precedence of the data in the configuration file.
That is, if the area code specified in the configuration file is '304' and
the area code specified in the environment variable 'D_DAC' is '212', '212'
will be used and not '304'.
When DIAL is started, the following sequence of events take place. The
program first looks for the environment variable 'DIAL' to determine the
location of the data files. If the 'DIAL' variable is not found, it is
assumed that all necessary files are in the current directory. The user
is alerted to this condition on the status line.
The configuration file is then read. If a configuration file is not found,
the user is alerted that a default configuration file will be created.
The directory file is then searched for the string specified. If no match
is found, a message is printed and the program exits. If the search returned
less than a full page of matches, the telephone numbers are displayed. Move
the cursor (red on white on color monitors, reverse video on monochrome
monitors) with the up and down arrow or the mouse to the number you wish to
dial and press <ENTER> or <F1> on the keyboard or the left mouse button to
dial the selected number. You can move to the first number on the page by
pressing <CTRL><HOME> or to the last number on the page by pressing
<CTRL><END>.
╔═════════════════════════════════ [ Museum ] ═══════════════════════════════╗
║ Computer Museum 300 Congress St., Boston >>> 423-6758 ║
║ Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Ave., Boston >>> 267-9300 ║
║ Museum of Science Boston >>> 723-2500 ║
║ Omni Theatre Info. Boston Museum of Science >>> 523-6664 ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
░ SN: 0001 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Press <F5> for Help ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░ LOG ░
If the search returns more than one page of matches, the first page is
displayed. The pages can be scrolled through by pressing <PgUp> or <PgDn>
on the keyboard or by pressing the left mouse button on the up and down
arrows on the mouse menu. The first page can be displayed by pressing the
<HOME> key. and the last page by pressing the <END> key. Within a page, the
same keystrokes are used as in the preceding paragraph.
ADD NEW ENTRY
─────────────
Pressing <ALT><N> (or selecting the NAME option on the mouse menu) allows you
to add a new entry to the telephone directory. The following window will be
displayed:
╒══════════════════[ Add New Entry ]═══════════════════╕
│ │
│ Name: ....................... │
│ │
│ Address: ..................................... │
│ │
│ Phone: ................. │
│ │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Enter the information for the new entry in the appropriate fields. (See
Appendix B for a list of editing keys). If a '#' is entered as the first
character in the name field, the entry is considered to be a comment. If
the entry satisfies a search criteria, it will be displayed (highlighted on
monochrome monitors, yellow on color monitors) but the cursor will skip over
the line when moved. Comments can be used for storing additional information
that do not contain a telephone number.
When adding comment records, the fields in a comment are concatenated with a
space between fields.
The phone number should be entered EXACTLY as you would like it to be dialed
(keeping in mind the PREFIX and LOCAL AREA CODE fields in the configuration
file).
After entering the information, the disposition menu is displayed:
╒══════════════════[ Add New Entry ]═══════════════════╕
│ │
│ Name: ....................... ╔═════[ Disposition Menu ]═════╗
│ ║ ║
│ Address: .........................║ Save and Continue ║
│ ║ ║
│ Phone: ................. ║ Save and Exit ║
│ ║ ║
╘═══════════════════════════════════════║ Clear Last / Continue ║
║ ║
║ Clear Last and Exit ║
║ ║
║ Clear All and Quit ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════╝
Save and Continue Selecting this option will save the current
the entry in a entry buffer, clear the entry
window fields and return the cursor to the
entry window to allow you to enter any
additional names.
Save and Exit This option will store all buffered entries
(including the current) in the directory file
and return to the main program window.
Clear Last / Continue Same as the first option except the current
data is discarded (not saved in the buffer).
Clear Last and Exit Discards the current entry and returns to the
main program window.
Clear All and Quit Discards ALL buffered entries (including the
current entry) and returns to the main
program window.
EDIT NEW ENTRY
──────────────
Pressing <ALT><E> allows you to edit the entry that is currently selected.
The following window will be displayed:
╒═══════════════════[ Edit Entry ]═════════════════════╕
│ │
│ Name: Museum of Science │
│ │
│ Address: Boston, MA │
│ │
│ Phone: 617-555-1234 │
│ │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
The selected entry is displayed for editing. See Appendix B for a list of
editing keys. When editing comment lines, words may be broken in the middle
since the program simply fills the fields in the window in sequence. Keep
in mind when editing that the fields in a comment are concatenated with a
space between fields.
No disposition menu is displayed after editing a field. Pressing <F10> when
in any field will abort the entry without updating the record. Pressing
<ENTER> at the last field will automatically update the record.
AREA CODE SEARCH
────────────────
Pressing <ALT><A> (or selecting Ar Code from the mouse menu) will invoke the
area code search function. The following menu will be displayed:
╒═[ Area Code Search ]═╕
│ │
│ Area Code │
│ │
│ State Code │
│ │
│ City │
│ │
│ Country │
│ │
│ Quit │
│ │
╘══════════════════════╛
Area Code Selecting this function will will allow you to select
an area code. The city/state that uses this area code
will be displayed.
State Code Allows you to enter a two character state code. All
area codes used in the state will be displayed.
City Allows you to enter the name of a city. The
appropriate area code for that city, and the name
of the state/country it is in is the displayed.
Of course, not every city in the world is included,
but we try...
Country Allows you to enter the name of a country. The
country code for that country is displayed along
with a time differential from Eastern Standard Time.
Most time differentials are added to the current EST
to determine the current time in that country.
Some countries (such as CANADA) will have a '***'
displayed meaning that country includes multiple time
zones.
Quit Returns to the main directory display window.
For all alphabetic entries, the first few letters of the name can be entered.
All names that begin with the string of characters entered will be displayed.
If too many matches are found (more than 19 matches), a longer string can be
entered to return fewer matches. For example if 'Ne' is entered and the
number of matches cannot fit in the window, entering 'New' will return a
smaller number of matches that can be displayed.
The name searches are case sensitive. When entering a name for a search, the
first letter in automatically set to upper-case.
Sample Area Code Screens
────────────────────────
╔════════════════════════════════ [ Museum ] ════════════════════════════════╗
║ Computer Museum 300 Congress St., Boston >>> 423-6758 ║
║ Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Ave., Boston >>> 267-9300 ║
║ Museum of Science Boston >>> 723-2500 ║
║ Om╓──────────────────────────────╖um of Science >>> 523-6664 ║
║ ║ City: New ║ ║
║ ╙─────────────────────╓────────────────────────────────────────────────╖ ║
║ ║ City State Area Code ║ ║
║ ╟────────────────────────────────────────────────╢ ║
║ ║ New Amsterdam Guyana 03 ║ ║
║ ║ New Delhi India 11 ║ ║
║ ║ New Haven Connecticut 203 ║ ║
║ ║ New Hope Guyana 66 ║ ║
║ ║ New London Connecticut 203 ║ ║
║ ║ New Plymouth New Zealand 67 ║ ║
║ ║ New York New York 212 ║ ║
║ ║ Newcastle NSW, Australia 49 ║ ║
║ ╙────────────────────────────────────────────────╜ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Display when a City is selected.
╔════════════════════════════════ [ Museum ] ════════════════════════════════╗
║ Computer Museum 300 Congress St., Boston >>> 423-6758 ║
║ Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Ave., Boston >>> 267-9300 ║
║ Museum of Science Boston >>> 723-2500 ║
║ Om╓───────────────────────╖on Museum of Science >>> 523-6664 ║
║ ║ Country: New ║ ║
║ ╙───────────────────────╜ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ╓─────────────────────────────────────────────────╖ ║
║ ║ Country A.Code Time ║ ║
║ ╟─────────────────────────────────────────────────╢ ║
║ ║ New Caledonia 687 16 ║ ║
║ ║ New Zealand 64 17 ║ ║
║ ╙─────────────────────────────────────────────────╜ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Display when a Country is selected.
SOUND
─────
The program can be configured to make irritating noises at inappropriate
times. This feature can be enable/disabled by pressing <ALT><S>.
LOG FILE
────────
When the call logging feature is enabled, information about all calls are
stored in a log file (as defined in the configuration utility). Below is
a sample log file.
Dialed: Khan, Wally December 17, 1989 9:41 AM
Dialed: Andrew Square Pizza January 5, 1989 2:32 AM
Dialed: 47th St. Computer January 10, 1990 11:15 AM
Redialed: 47th St. Computer January 10, 1990 11:16 AM
Redialed: 47th St. Computer January 10, 1990 11:17 AM
Dialed: Barcode Industries January 10, 1990 3:46 PM
MOUSE SUPPORT
─────────────
Basically, the left button of the mouse works the same was as the <ENTER>
key on the keyboard and the right button works the same way as the <ESCAPE>
key.
When a page of matches are displayed, the cursor can be moved up and down
with the mouse. Pressing the left button dials the selected number. Pressing
the right button (or pressing the <ESCAPE> key) will display the mouse menu
bar at the bottom of the screen over the status line. The menu looks like:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Dial Config Ar Code Name Sound Log Reg. Help Quit
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
One character of each function name on the menu is highlighted and the
function can also be invoked by pressing that key. The menu cursor can be
moved to each function with the mouse or with the left and right arrow keys.
Pressing the left button will execute the currently selected function.
Pressing the right button (or <ESCAPE>) will return the cursor to the number
selection window.
Dial Allows you to enter a new search string.
Config Execute the configuration function.
Area Code Execute the area code search function.
Name Execute the function to add a new entry to the
directory.
Sound Toggle sound.
Log Toggle call logging.
Reg. Display the registration screen.
Help Display the general help window.
Move to the previous page of matches.
Move to the next page of matches.
Quit Exit the program.
Appendix A
----------
SELECTION KEYS
──────────────
The following keystrokes can be used when the numbers are displayed:
<ESC> Escape. Invoke the menu bar at the bottom of the
screen. Pressing the highlighted letter of the menu
item (usually the first character) executes that
particular function. For a description of the menu
bar, see the section on mouse support.
<ENTER> Enter of function key F1. Dial the number currently
or <F1> highlighted by the cursor.
<> Up arrow. Move the cursor up one line to the previous
number.
<> Down arrow. Move the cursor down one line to the next
number.
<HOME> Home. Move the cursor to the last page if more than
one page of entries were found.
<CTRL><HOME> Top of page. Move the cursor to the top of the
current page.
<END> End. Move the cursor to the last page if more than
one page of entries were found.
<CTRL><END> Bottom. Move the cursor to the bottom of the current
page.
<F5> Help. Display the help window. Generally, pressing
<F5> at any time in the program will display a help
message on the currently selected function.
<PgUp> Page up. Move to the previous page of entries.
<PgDn> Page down. Move to the next page of entries.
<ALT><S> Toggles sound.
<ALT><R> Displays a screen containing a registration form which
can the be printed.
<ALT><A> Invoke the area code search function.
<ALT><L> Toggles the call logging function.
<DELETE> Delete the current entry.
<ALT><D> Allows the entry of a new search string.
<ALT><N> Add a new entry to the directory.
<ALT><E> Edit an existing entry.
<ALT><C> Run the configuration function.
<ALT><X> Exit the program.
or <F10>
Appendix B
----------
EDIT KEYS
─────────
When entering text in the configuration or new name entry windows, the
following keys can be used:
ESC Clear line and home cursor.
Left Arrow Move cursor one character to left.
Right Arrow Move cursor one character to right.
Cntl-Left Move cursor to start of word on left.
Cntl-Right Move cursor to start of word on right.
HOME Move cursor to start of line.
END Move cursor to end of line.
INSERT Toggle insert / overwrite mode.
DELETE Delete current character under cursor.
DIAL Telephone Dialer Version 1.0
_________________________________
To: Hasmatallie A. Khan From: _____________________________
15 Southpoint Dr., # 307
Dorchester, MA 02125 _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
___ Copies of DIAL @ $50.00 each ............................ ____________
(Includes full support, program disk, updates)
Total of ... ____________
Enclose check or money order payable to Hasmatallie A. Khan