ArcComm Review

Peter Rochford looks at the latest comms package for the Archimedes.

ArcComm has been a long time coming as they say. This new comms package for the Archimedes from BBCSoft has been rumoured to be ready for release for the past six months or so. It was written by Peter Gaunt, the author of the Weirdbeard and Modem Master comms software for the Beeb.

The ArcComm package comes supplied in a video cassette-style case and comprises two discs, a 120-page spiral bound manual and a function keystrip. A thoughtful touch is the inclusion of a printed disc label to use when you make a working copy of the main disc.

ArcComm is designed to work only with RISC OS, and runs under the Desktop. However, sadly it does not allow true multi-tasking, as you have to close down the ArcComm window totally to load a new application. This leaves the ArcComm package installed, and if online it will hold the communications link whilst you do something else. Don't get too excited about this though, as on a 1Mbyte machine you have precious little memory left to run the majority of applications.

The window environment in ArcComm is not standard RISC OS. The author has opted for his own which, although I think it is very attractive, is somewhat slower. Don't let that worry you too much though, as in general use, it does not make that much of a difference. However, I do feel that developers should try and adhere to the guidelines for appearance set down by Acorn. After all, they are designed to make life easier for the user.

The package features seven types of terminal emulation all of which are selected from drop-down menus. Three of these are viewdata or videotex, namely CEPT Profile 1, CEPT Profile 2 and CEPT Profile 3. The rest are the four most common scrolling text terminals, Teletype, VT52, VT100 and ANSI.

A word of explanation about the videotex terminals will be needed to clarify what CEPT Profiles are. CEPT Profile 1 is the system used by the German Bildschirmtex videotex system, CEPT Profile 2 is used by the French Teletel system and CEPT Profile 3 is the British Prestel-type viewdata system. A full explanation of the whys and wherefores of CEPT is not really within the scope of this review and somewhat of a digression. The second disc supplied with ArcComm features sample screens from all three systems. If you have never seen the German Bildschirmtex system then you are in for a shock. It features high res graphics in up to 32 colours. Prestel by comparison looks downright crude. Wake up BT!

Back to ArcComm itself. The package offers three options for downloading data: ASCII, Xmodem and CET for telesoftware. The usual buffering, spooling and printing facilities are provided along with the saving of single frames or a number of frames to any one of four frame stores for later recall.

The videotex terminals have the ability to edit offline mailbox frames for you to upload when on line. This uses templates to represent the standard mailbox frames. These have fields defined on them exactly the same as their on-line equivalents. This means that they operate exactly the same as if you were typing them in on line. Not only that, but a character count is kept that also takes account of Escape codes so that you cannot enter more characters than the online frame would allow. This makes offline editing child's play.

You can use ArcComm with a dumb modem or a Hayes modem, the only other driver included is for the Dacom, as supplied by the DTI to schools. No facility exists within the package to create your own as in Hearsay or indeed modify the existing ones. It is possible to write your own and load it as a relocatable module, but I cannot see too many people doing this.

There is no telephone directory within ArcComm for you to set up to allow selection of a database to dial up. Instead, there is a limited form of script language similar, but nowhere near as powerful as the one in ArcTerm. This allows you to create procedures using a number of keywords to set up a sequence of tasks for ArcComm to perform to effect the logging on to a particular dialup service. Once created, these are selected by clicking on them from the Desktop, and they will invoke ArcComm automatically, set the correct terminal and baud rate, dial up the number and send your password and ID.

Most of the operations within ArcComm can be performed using the mouse via the drop down menus or selecting one of the small number of displayed icons. In the videotex terminals, selection of routes can be done either by clicking on the displayed menu or clicking on a keypad alongside the main screen. An alternative method of selecting terminal features is by use of the functions keys, or you can use the main keyboard in combination with the Action (Ctrl) key.

Documentation supplied with ArcComm is unreservedly good. The manual is a rather unusual size, being wide but not very deep. It is wire bound, but in such a way that you can read the spine when the book is placed on a shelf. The layout is very clear with large left margins for sub-headings, and crisp diagrams. There is a substantial index and an excellent reference section, which includes modem wiring details. As well as covering all aspects of ArcComm from a user's point of view, the manual also deals with writing your own modem driver.

CONCLUSIONS

When you consider the price of ArcComm, it really is hard to fault it. It is professionally finished and packaged, and is a pleasure to use. Comparisons to the other two major Archimedes comms packages must obviously be made. ArcTerm and Hearsay are both much more powerful pieces of comms software and have a wealth of extra facilities over ArcComm, but then they are twice the price.

ArcComm scores as being a straightforward comms setup for those who need all the basic viewdata and scrolling text terminal features in an easy-to-use package. Nice as they are to have, the inclusion of the two European videotex terminals is a questionable decision as few people I doubt will ever use them.

For my own use ArcComm would not suffice as it lacks the power, flexibility and facilities of Hearsay, which I use extensively. Having said that, there are certain features of ArcComm that I would dearly love to see in Hearsay, namely the excellent mailbox editor and some form of script language.

For many people though, ArcComm would be a good choice of comms software and if your needs do not extend to those provided by the likes of ArcTerm and Hearsay, then I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
ProductArcComm
SupplierBBCSoft,
 P.O. Box 234, Wetherby,
 West Yorkshire, LS23 7EU.
Price£29.95 inc. VAT + £1.50 p&p