Programmer 7500/MAX_PROGRAMMERS.iso/PROGRAMS/UTILS/COMMUNIC/QVT355.ZIP/QVT.HLP

Text File | 1988-10-18 | 16.7 KB | 371 lines

Exit/Suspend Program
 Both of these commands terminate QVT and return to DOS.

 The difference is in their treatment of the communications line. 'Exit'
 will break any existing phone connection, whereas 'Suspend' will not.

 'Suspend' will also save the QVT screen image to a file in the current
 directory; this file will have the same root name as the current config
 file. The saved image will be restored to the screen the next time that
 config file is used.

 The 'Exit' option is for use when you want to exit permanently from QVT.

 The 'Suspend' option is intended for occasions when you want to exit
 temporarily from QVT and perform some other tasks, and then return to
 your QVT session.
end
DOS Shell
 Starts up a copy of COMMAND.COM within QVT. This makes it possible to
 issue DOS commands to perform file operations, then return to QVT at the
 exact point where it was interrupted.

 This option is superficially similar to 'Suspend', the difference being
 that 'Suspend' actually terminates QVT, whereas 'DOS' merely pushes it
 into the background while you execute DOS commands.

 You should use 'DOS' when all you need to do outside QVT is a few simple
 DOS operations, like displaying a directory listing. If you need to do
 more extensive tasks, you should use 'Suspend' instead.

 When are finished using DOS, and wish to resume your QVT session, enter
 the command 'EXIT' at the DOS prompt.

 WARNING! Do not attempt to start another copy of QVT from the DOS shell!
end
Kermit Uploads
 The procedure for transmitting a file using KERMIT is as follows:

 1. Start KERMIT on the remote system, normally by issuing the 'KERMIT'
    command. For binary file transfers, enter the Kermit command
    'set file type binary'.

 2. Make sure that the remote Kermit is set to the same parity as QVT.
    This is done using the Kermit 'set parity' command.

 3. At the 'Kermit>' prompt, issue the command 'receive'.

 4. Invoke the QVT 'File' menu, and select the command 'Kermit Send'.
    This will bring up the Kermit Upload dialog box.

 5. Enter the name of the file to transfer. DOS pathnames and/or
    wildcards are acceptable.
endpanel
 6. Answer the prompt asking whether Kermit should operate in Text or
    Binary mode by entering a 'T' or 'B'; no carriage-return is required.

    Your response to this prompt should be consistent with the file type
    expected by the remote Kermit.

 7. The transfer will now proceed until completion.
end
Kermit Downloads
 The procedure for receiving a file using KERMIT is as follows:

 1. Start KERMIT on the remote system, normally by issuing the 'KERMIT'
    command. For binary file transfers, enter the Kermit command
    'set file type binary'.

 2. Make sure that the remote Kermit is set to the same parity as QVT.
    This is done using the Kermit 'set parity' command.

 3. Issue the 'send' command to the remote Kermit, along with the name of
    the file that you intend to transmit. Most Kermit implementations will
    accept wildcards.

 4. Select 'Kermit Receive' from the QVT 'File' menu. This will bring up
    the Kermit Download dialog box.
endpanel
 5. Answer the prompt asking whether to use Kermit's Text Mode or Binary
    Mode by entering a 'T' or 'B'; no carriage return is required.

    Your response to this prompt should be consistent with the file type
    expected by the remote Kermit.

 6. The transfer will now proceed until completion.
end
X/Y/Zmodem Uploads
 Although there is no standard host user interface for these protocols,
 they do have in common the principle that the remote side should be
 started first.

 1. Make sure that the remote computer is ready to accept the file.

    On a host minicomputer, this will usually involve starting a program
    that is used for file transfer with these protocols; an example of
    such a program is Omen Technology's 'rb' program for Unix and VMS
    systems.

    On PC bulletin boards, you should select the 'Upload' option from
    the BBS menu.

 2. Select the appropriate 'Send' command from the QVT 'File' menu.

 3. Enter the name of the file that you want to transfer.

    For XMODEM, only a single file can be transferred. Y and Zmodem,
    however, are able to transmit multiple files in a single batch.
endpanel
    In the current release, batch transfer is supported only in the
    sense that you can include wildcards in the filename, and all files
    that match the template will be transferred.

    Batch transfer of multiple files with unrelated names will be incor-
    porated into a future release of QVT.

    In all cases, full DOS pathnames are supported.

 4. For Xmodem and Ymodem only:

    Answer the prompt which asks whether to use large or small packets.
    When uploading to a host minicomputer, small packets should be used.
    For PC Bulletin Boards which support Ymodem or Xmodem-1K, you may
    use large packets.

 5. The transfer will now proceed until completion.
end
X/Y/Zmodem Downloads
 Although there is no standard host user interface for these protocols,
 they do have in common the principle that the remote side should be
 started first.

 1. Make sure that the remote computer is set up and ready to start the
    file transfer

    On a host minicomputer, this will usually involve starting a program
    that is used for file transfer with these protocols; an example of
    such a program is Omen Technology's 'sb' program for Unix and VMS
    systems.

    On PC bulletin boards, you should select the 'Download' option from
    the BBS menu.

 2. Select the appropriate 'Receive' command from the QVT 'File' menu

 3. For XMODEM only:

    Enter the name that the file will have on the PC.
endpanel
    The Ymodem and Zmodem protocols both transmit the filename along with
    the file data.

 4. For XMODEM only:

    Answer the prompt which asks whether to use CRC error-checking. The
    standard reply is 'N'; however, the CRC method is provides superior
    error detection and is therefore preferable where available.

 5. The transfer will now proceed until completion.
end
Text File Upload
 This command is useful when you have a small text file that you want to
 copy directly up to the remote system without protocols. For example, you
 may have a file that you want to send to another user on the host system
 over the host's mail facility. You can start up the mail utility, put it
 into 'input mode', where it is waiting for you to type in the message, then
 use QVT's 'Text Upload' command to transfer the PC file directly into the
 remote mail system.

 Characters will be displayed on the screen as they are echoed by the host.
end
Log File
 This command causes the incoming stream of data to be copied verbatim to a
 file on the PC. Unlike some other communications programs, QVT writes the
 data to disk as it is received, with the result that the amount of data that
 you can capture is limited only by the amount of space on your disk.

 To use this command, you begin by selecting the 'Log File' command from
 the 'File' menu. A window will pop up which contains a field for you to
 enter the name of the file that should be opened for logging. As soon as you
 hit <Return>, QVT will return you to interactive mode. At this point, all
 received characters will be written to the log file as soon as they are
 displayed on the screen.

 To close the log file, simply select the 'Log File' command again.
end
Capture Screen Image
 Use this command to copy an exact image of the screen to a disk file. The
 image will be written in the form of 25 lines of 80 characters, with a
 carriage-return/linefeed at the end of each line. The resulting file is
 suitable for printing, or for inclusion in a word-processing document.
end
Terminal Setup
 This is a popup window with prompts that allow you to change the screen
 and keyboard behavior of QVT. Each line in the window represents a config-
 urable parameter, and at the right-hand side are displayed the current
 values of these parameters.

 To change a parameter, you first move the cursor (using the up and down
 arrow keys) so that it is sitting on the correct line. Then, press the
 <GreyPlus> key repeatedly until the desired value appears under the cursor.

 When you are finished, press the <Esc> key to erase the window. QVT will
 begin using the new settings immediately.

 Complete descriptions of the parameters displayed in this window are
 contained in the QVT User Manual.
end
Communications Setup
 In order to communicate with a wide variety of systems, it is necessary for
 QVT to adapt to many different communications environments. This command is
 used to match the configuration of the PC's communication port to the equip-
 ment at the other end of the connection (usually a modem or a computer).

 First, you must know which port on your PC is the one you are using for
 communications. If you have only one serial port, then it will be 'COM1'.

 Having selected the PC port, you then need to determine the operating values
 of the remote equipment. For modems, consult the owner's manual. If you
 are connected directly to another computer, ask the system manager. You
 should then set QVT's operating parameters to the same values for baud rate,
 data bits, stop bits, parity, and flow control.

 When finished, press the <Esc> key. The window will be erased, and QVT will
 begin using the new settings.
end
Phone Number Setup
 QVT allows up to ten phone numbers to be associated with a single configur-
 ation. These ten numbers are treated by default as a 'rotary' group; i.e.,
 it is assumed that all of the numbers in the set are for the same host
 system. QVT dials the first number first, and if that number is busy, goes
 on and dials the second number. This pattern continues until a connection
 is established.

 Alternatively, the set of numbers may refer to different hosts, in which
 case the 'Number' option on the 'Modem' menu is used to select a single
 number to use for the current session.

 The 'Phone Number' option on the 'Settings' menu is the means for entering
 phone numbers into the configuration file. The format is simple: enter
 the number itself, followed by an optional colon (':') and any comments
 which may be appropriate. Normally, comments are needed only when the num-
 bers in the set are for different hosts; the comments may be used to spec-
 ify the hosts which are associated with the numbers.
endpanel
 The use of separators such as parentheses and dashes is acceptable in a
 phone number; they will be ignored by QVT when the number is dialed.
end
Function Key Setup
 QVT allows the use of the <Alt-F1> through <Alt-F10> keys as programmable
 function keys. This means that you may assign string values to these keys,
 and these strings will be transmitted when you press one of the programmed
 keys.

 The assignment of strings to keys is performed using the 'Function Keys'
 command on the 'Settings' menu. Next to each key is a 40-character input
 window for entering the program strings. Current values will be displayed
 when the window first pops up. If you want to retain an existing value,
 press the <Tab> key when the cursor moves into the field containing that
 value.

 Key program strings may contain any ASCII character, including control
 characters. To include a control character, enter a '^', followed by the
 letter to which the control character corresponds. For example, <Ctrl-C>
 would be represented as ^C.

 Function key programs will be saved in the config file when the 'Make
 Config' command is executed. They will be loaded from the config file
 (along with other QVT settings) when the 'Load Config' command is used.
end
Load Configuration
 QVT configuration files make it easy to store and retrieve setup values
 which are different from the startup default values. These files, which must
 have the extension '.VT', may be created by using by QVT command 'Make
 Config File', or by manually typing in values with a text editor. The 'Load
 Config' command gives you the ability to read in these files and quickly
 reconfigure QVT so that it will use the setup values contained in the file.

 When 'Load Config' is selected from the 'Settings' menu, a small popup
 window will appear near the middle of the screen. This window will contain
 a list of all of the config files which are available in the current drive/
 directory. There are two ways to select the desired config file. First,
 you can use the cursor keys to highlight the filename, then press <Return>.
 The second method is a little faster: simple press the key which corresponds
 to the letter that precedes the desired filename; you don't need to press
 <Return>.

 QVT will read in the config file, reconfigure itself according to the values
 stored there, then return to normal interactive mode.
end
Save Configuration
 This command is used to save the current operating configuration for use at
 a later time.

 When 'Save Configuration' is invoked, a popup window will appear which con-
 tains a field for entering or updating the name of the file to which the
 configuration should be saved. You should enter a filename into this field,
 terminating the entry with a <Return>.

 You need enter only the root part of the filename, since QVT will automat-
 ically add the extension '.VT'.

 If you want to cancel the 'Save' operation, press <Esc>.
end
Automatic Dialing
 For each system that you communicate with, QVT allows you to store the phone
 number at which the system may be reached. This number may then be dialed
 automatically using the 'Dial' command. Before using 'Dial', you should have
 previously loaded a config file that contains a phone number.

 When invoked, 'Dial' will attempt to dial the number for the current system.
 If a connection is established, a 'Connected' message will be displayed, and
 QVT will return to interactive mode. If no connection is achieved within 40
 seconds, 'Dial' will abort the attempt, wait 10 seconds, and try again. This
 cycle will continue until you press the <Esc> key; this will cancel the
 'Dial' session at any point and return to interactive mode.

 Dialing is more complicated if the current configuration contains more than
 one phone number. The default procedure is to treat the set of numbers as a
 'rotary group'; i.e., if no connection is established at the first number,
 QVT will try the second number, and so on. When the last number is reached,
 QVT will 'wrap around' to the first number.

 Alternatively, if the 'Number' command has been used to select a single
 number from the set, only that number will be used, and it will be re-dialed
 repeatedly until a connection is made.
end
Login Scripts
 One of the conveniences of QVT is its ability to automatically log you in
 to the host system after a connection has been established. This is done
 by means of a 'script file' that you may create, and which will be used by
 QVT to carry on a dialogue with the host.

 Script files are invoked in two ways. First, if you have used the 'Dial'
 command to establish a phone connection to a host, and if a script file
 is associated with the current configuration, then that script will be
 executed as soon as the phone connection is made.

 Second, you may execute the script directly by selecting the 'Script' menu
 command.

 A script file is associated with your current session by using the param-
 eter "login=<filename>" in the config file.

 The various commands which may be used in a script file are documented in
 the QVT User Manual.
end
Modem Hangup
 This command will break any existing telephone connection. In order for
 this command to work correctly, you must set up your modem as described
 in the 'Hardware Requirements' section of the QVT User Manual. This is
 because QVT performs the disconnect by temporarily dropping the DTR line,
 instead of using the Hayes modem hangup sequence.
end
Phone Number Selection
 QVT allows up to ten phone numbers to be associated with a single configur-
 ation. For dialing purposes, the default procedure is to treat these numbers
 as a 'rotary group' (see 'Automatic Dialing').

 You may, however, instruct QVT to use only a single number from the set by
 using the 'Number' command ('Modem' menu). The list of available numbers
 will be displayed in a popup window. To select a number, move the highlight
 bar to the desired number, then press the <Return> key.

 The 'Number' popup window may be erased without changing anything by press-
 ing the <Esc> key.

 To Cancel the selected number without selecting another one, press the <Del>
 key. Note that this will have the effect of returning QVT to the 'rotary'
 dialing mode.
end