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SKIP'S COMPUTER MISCELLANEA #5 (C) Copyright 1988 by C. F. "Skip" Mowery, Jr. Colonel, USAF (Ret.) 406 Van Reed Manor Drive Brandon FL 33511 813-689-4212 "Skip's Computer Miscellanea" is copyrighted material and remains the property of the author, who reserves all rights to its publication, reproduction and distribution, with the following single exception: it may be freely copied and distributed electronically via computer for personal non-commercial use, provided that the content is not modified, that it is not copied to or distributed on any form of print media and that it is not copied or distributed by or for any type of business endeavor without the prior written permission of the author. ***** Your comments about this material and questions about any aspect of computing are welcome. This material originates on the Computer Archives BBS in Tampa, Florida, at 813-968-6220. ***** "My Comm Program Is Better than Your Comm Program" A Look at Boyan and Procomm Plus The fact that you're reading this means that you already have a communications program and know enough about it to be able to download a file. So, why should you consider trying some other comm program? One reason could be the same reason that people climb mountains: because they're there. But a more logical reason is that another program may have better features. Notice that I didn't say that another program may have "more" features. "Better" doesn't necessarily mean "more", not to mention the fact that, regardless of the type of program, it's virtually impossible to find a program that has everything you want the way you want it -- unless you write it yourself. (And even writing it yourself, doesn't always work, especially if you're lazy, like me.) Also, "better" can be a very subjective term. When two programs have the same features, the better one for you will be the one that you are more comfortable with. For example, if you only had two choices, which key combination would you prefer as the command for calling a Help Screen: Alt-Z or Ctrl-Home? When you want to access the set-up or configuration menu, is it easier for you to remember Alt-S for Set-up or Alt-C for Configuration? Which would you prefer when you press the key combination for exiting the program and are asked if you want to exit: to have Yes as the default so that you can just press Return to exit, or to have No as the default so that accidentally pressing Return won't cause an exit? Those aren't really significant examples in terms of objective program quality, but they might be significant subjective- ly to you if you are more comfortable with one or the other. (In each example, the first alternative applies to Procomm Plus and the second to Boyan.) What do you want in a comm program? If you're a "power user" (whatever the heck that is), you want everything and, knowing you can't have it, you spend hours downloading and trying new programs and modifications to old programs, trying to find one that not only communicates but also makes coffee and takes the dog for a walk. On the other hand, if you're like me, you want a few of the basic and a few of the nice-to-have features, and you have no difficulty accepting the fact that you can't have everything (and making your own coffee at least gives you an opportunity to get away from the keyboard and say hello to your wife). In fact, if you're like me, you recognize that trying to understand and use all of the features of any good comm program can be incredibly complicated and difficult. For example, Procomm Plus is able to emulate several different types of terminals, and it lets you estab- lish up to 8 modem port assignments (COM1 to COM8) by changing the Base Address and IRQ Line. I'm not sure when I would need to change terminal emulation and I don't even want to think about what Base Adress and IRQ mean or why in the world I even would want more than two modem ports. So, I wouldn't discard Boyan just because it doesn't emulate a bunch of terminals and only handles two ports. Finally, if you're like me, you may have a comm program that's really basic (even though the manual may make it seem full-featured and complicated), and maybe you didn't even know that there are reasonably- priced programs out there that can run circles around your program. This article, then, is for people like me, who are looking for a good program that is comfortable to use, not necessarily the best program and not necessarily one that also makes coffee. With that in mind, we're going to discuss some of the features of two excellent comm programs: Boyan and Procomm Plus. There are several other comm programs available for download, but these two seem to handle things quite nicely and, since I'm not a power user, I have no desire to spend the rest of my life downloading and testing comm programs. At the same time, I should emphasize that I'm not suggesting that Procomm Plus and Boyan are not the best available. They may well be. It's just that I'm not going to try to prove that they're the best -- nor am I going to try to prove that one is better than the other. I'll just show you some of the things they can do, and some of the differen- ces between them, and let you decide whether you might want to try one or both of them. The versions I downloaded and tried were in BOYAN-D3.ARC and PCPLUSTD.ARC. The former is version D3 of Boyan and the latter is version 1.0 of Procomm Plus Test Drive ("Test Drive" refers to the fact that this is the shareware version, but it is otherwise identical to the registered version of Procomm Plus). The wide popularity of these two programs is verified by the number of modification, enhancement and supplemental utility files related to them that are available for download. From the BBS Main Menu, use Z(ippy directory search) to search for A(ll) occurrences of "boyan" and "procomm" and you'll see what I mean -- the list of files goes on and on. (Note that files applicable to earlier versions of these programs may not be applicable to the latest versions, particularly in the case of Procomm and Procomm Plus.) Before going on with a discussion of features, let me emphasize that neither of these programs is free software. If you decide to keep either program, you must register it -- and this is where one signifi- cant difference appears between the two programs. The registration fee for Procomm Plus is $75. Boyan's is $35. Whether Procomm Plus' higher fee is justified is something you have to decide for yourself, but I would urge you to try it before making that decision, since there are some significant differences in available features and how functions work -- differences that may or may not make Procomm Plus worth more to you. (For example, as mentioned above, Procomm Plus emulates several terminals and can handle up to 8 ports.) According to the DOC file, when you register Procomm Plus you get the following: "- Perpetual license to use the software you have purchased. - A two disk program set including the program itself, an external setup program, an installation program, a keyboard remapping program, a small but fast text editor and other useful utilities. You will also receive numerous sample script files for logging onto your favorite on-line servi- ces, dialing directories for several major cities, and lists of BBS systems around the world. - A 300+ page professionally written and printed manual which includes a tutorial, index and introduction to telecommuni- cations. - 90 days telephone technical support. - Free membership offers to several on-line services. - Much, much more." The registration fee for Boyan pays for your license to use the program and provides "privileged access" to the Boyan Support BBS. Now let's talk features. (From now on, I will refer to Procomm Plus simply as Procomm to save wear and tear on my fingers and keyboard.) Thanks to default settings that will work on most systems and excel- lent, context-sensitive, on-screen help, both Procomm and Boyan can be used (or at least be experimented with) almost immediately, with little or no configuration and with only a brief review of the documentation. Just run the program and call up the Help Screen. As you move from function menu to function menu, both programs provide pop-up context sensitive help for virtually all items by pressing the same key combination that calls the main help screen. Here's what the main Procomm Help Screen looks like: ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ P R O C O M M P L U S C O M M A N D M E N U ║ ╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ╠════════════════ COMMUNICATIONS ════════════════╦═══════ SET UP ════════╣ ║─────── BEFORE ──────────────────── AFTER ────────║ ║ ║ Dialing Directory Alt-D Hang Up ......... Alt-H ║ Setup Facility .. Alt-S ║ ║ Exit ............ Alt-X ║ Line/Port Setup . Alt-P ║ ║─────── DURING ───────────────────────────────────║ Translate Table . Alt-W ║ ║ Script Files ... Alt-F5 Send Files ....... PgUp ║ Key Mapping .... Alt-F8 ║ ║ Keyboard Macros . Alt-M Receive Files .... PgDn ║ ║ ║ Redisplay ...... Alt-F6 Log File On/Off Alt-F1 ╠═══ OTHER FUNCTIONS ═══╣ ║ Clear Screen .... Alt-C Log File Pause . Alt-F2 ║ ║ ║ Break Key ....... Alt-B Screen Snapshot . Alt-G ║ File Directory .. Alt-F ║ ║ Elapsed Time .... Alt-T Printer On/Off .. Alt-L ║ Change Directory Alt-F7 ║ ║─────── OTHER ────────────────────────────────────║ View a File ..... Alt-V ║ ║ Chat Mode ....... Alt-O Record Mode ..... Alt-R ║ Editor .......... Alt-A ║ ║ Host Mode ....... Alt-Q Duplex Toggle ... Alt-E ║ DOS Gateway .... Alt-F4 ║ ║ Auto Answer ..... Alt-Y CR-CR/LF Toggle Alt-F3 ║ Program Info .... Alt-I ║ ║ User Hot Key 1 .. Alt-J Kermit Server Cmd Alt-K ║ ║ ║ User Hot Key 2 .. Alt-U Screen Pause .... Alt-N ║ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════╩═════════════════════════╝ Here's what Boyan's main Help Screen looks like: ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │BOYAN v. D3 COMMAND MENU On-line Help │ ├─────── MODEM COMMANDS ─────────══════╤═════── FILE/DOS COMMANDS ─────────────┤ │ │ │ │ Dial a number ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-D │ Directory File Manager ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Del │ │ Queue Redial Menu ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-Q │ Upload File ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ PgUp │ │ Hang up ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-H │ Download File ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ PgDn │ │ Parameter change ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-P │ Free space on disk ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-F │ │ Send modem break signal ∙∙∙ Ctrl-End │ Info about a file's size ∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-I │ │ │ New drive/subdirectory ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-N │ ├─────── MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS ───────┤ Issue DOS command ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Ins │ │ │ Jump to DOS ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-J │ │ Configure BOYAN ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-C │ View file ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-V │ │ Scroll back lost text ∙∙∙∙∙ Up Arrow │ │ │ Zap (Clear) screen ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-Z ├─────── TOGGLES ───── (now) ───────────┤ │ Save screen image to disk ∙∙∙∙ Alt-S │ Beeps and bells ∙∙∙∙ (ON ) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-B │ │ Use default text color ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-U │ Echo keyboard ∙∙∙∙∙∙ (OFF) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-E │ │ Enter macro manually ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-M │ ANSI Graphics ∙∙∙∙∙∙ (ON ) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-A │ │ │ Translation table ∙∙ (ON ) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-T │ │ Run script file block ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-R │ Gossip mode ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ (OFF) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-G │ │ │ Log to disk ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ (OFF) ∙∙∙∙ Alt-L │ │ EXIT BOYAN ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Alt-X │ Log to printer ∙∙∙∙∙ (OFF) Ctrl-PrtSc │ │ FURTHER HELP ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Ctrl-Home │ Add line feeds ∙∙∙∙∙ (OFF) Shift-Tab │ └─────────────┬────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘ ENTER COMMAND │ or <ESC> to exit. ▒ BOYAN v.D3 ▒ by Justin Boyan, August 1987 The first difference I noticed was that Procomm's initialization procedure includes initializing the modem. Boyan doesn't initialize the modem until you initiate a telephone call. One result of this, at least on my system, is that, if you turn the modem on before running Procomm, it dials faster than Boyan. On the other hand, because of modem initialization, Procomm takes a little longer to get started. If you start Procomm with the modem off, program start up is faster but then the dialing is slower. But we're talking about very small speed differences in any case. One peculiarity of Procomm (and I don't know if it's good or bad or indifferent) occurs if the modem is off when you exit the program: Procomm asks if you want to "hangup line". If the modem is on when you exit, you don't get that question -- unless, of course, you try to exit while the modem is on-line. And, if the modem is off when you get the question and you answer yes (hangup), which is the default, then it takes Procomm noticeably longer to complete the exit. If the modem is off when you exit Boyan, a message is sometimes left on the screen that says "The modem is still connected to `manual'", whatever that means. (I never could figure out when this message appears and when it doesn't, but I've seen it both ways when exiting Boyan with the modem off.) Boyan doesn't seem to care whether the modem is on or off at any time and, if you exit while the modem is on-line, Boyan just hangs up and exits without asking if you want to hang up. Would there ever be an occasion when you might want to exit the comm program without hanging up? If so, you can do it with Procomm but not with Boyan. Keep in mind, however, that both programs allow you to execute DOS commands without exiting the program ("DOS Gateway" and "Jump to DOS" in the above menus.) In any case, neither program is going to let you exit and inadvertently leave the modem on line. Both programs have a feature that I really like and that is missing from many other programs of any type: you can execute any command directly from the help menu. Think about it. Don't most programs require you to exit the help menu before entering a command -- and isn't that inconvenient? Both programs also provide a wide range of configuration options with on-screen, context-sensitive help. Boyan's line editor for changing configuration options is very flexible, but you have to remember how to use it. For example, until I discovered the insert-toggle, I thought that when you changed configuration data, you couldn't just type over the existing data but rather had to first delete it. That was because I was in the insert mode and didn't realize it. (The flashing cursor was intended to remind me, but I didn't know that -- having failed to first read the in-context help screen.) In Procomm, the configuration editing procedure is less flexible, but that made it easier for me. You just enter the new configuration data and it automatically replaces the prior setting. If you do a lot of editing of configuration items (including changing entries in the dialing directory), this difference in editing proce- dures could be significant. Another difference that could be an inconvenience is that, in Boyan, once you've made any configuration changes, Boyan automatically files them as permanent changes before you exit the program. If you don't want the changes to be permanent, you have to change them back before exiting the program. When you make configuration changes in Procomm, if you want the changes to be permanent, you must select the "Save Setup Options" option from the configuration menu. If you make changes but don't select the save option, Procomm will ask if you want the changes to be permanent before you exit the configuration menu. If nothing else, this feature makes Procomm easier to experiment with. Experimenting with color changes is also more convenient in Procomm, since the menu provides you with sample displays in which the colors change immediately as you cycle through them by pressing the space bar. In Boyan, you have to enter a color-combination number from a color chart and you don't see the effect of your color choices until you leave that part of the configuration menus. When changing colors in Boyan, be careful not to select combinations that could render parts of the display unreadable. Because of the use of reverse video or other forms of highlighting, this is not as easy as it might seem. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to complete some of the configuration procedures in Boyan until I disco- vered that the color combination I had chosen resulted in some prompt lines being invisible. On the other hand, I found the primary configuration menu in Boyan to be more descriptive and the general configuration procedure more convenient in at least one respect. The following is Procomm's primary configuration menu: MODEM OPTIONS TERMINAL OPTIONS KERMIT OPTIONS GENERAL OPTIONS HOST MODE OPTIONS ASCII TRANSFER OPTIONS FILE/PATH OPTIONS COLOR OPTIONS PROTOCOL OPTIONS SAVE SETUP OPTIONS Some of those items then have sub-menus to choose from before you reach the point where changes can be made. The following is Boyan's primary configuration menu, and there are no sub-menus to get through before reaching the point at which changes can be made: · Configuration areas: ······························· ······················································ ······ [A] Computer setup: Screen options ······ [B] Disk setup : File and transfer options ······ [C] Modem setup : Baud rate and messages ······ [D] Macros 1-10 : Modem-specific commands ······ ······ [E] Macros 11-20 : Shortcuts !@#$%^&*() ······ ······ [F] Macros 21-30 : Keys Alt-1 » Alt-0 ······ [G] Macros 31-40 : Keys F1 » F10 ······ [H] Macros 41-50 : Keys Ctrl-F1 » Ctrl-F10 ······ [I] Macros 51-60 : Keys Shift-F1 » Shift-F10 ······ [J] Macros 61-70 : Keys Alt-F1 » Alt-F10 ······ ······ [K] Dialing timers; advanced modem options ······ [L] Character translation and filter table ·······[M] External file transfer protocols·········· ······················································ Both programs have very broad macro capabilities, either for use directly or from within scripts. As you can see above, Boyan's macros are accessed from the configuration menu. Procomm has a separate macro menu accessible via a command. (See Procomm's help menu above.) Thanks to Boyan's "shortcut" macros and the use of the function keys, alone or in combination with the Alt or Ctrl keys, Boyan's macros are more flexible and convenient, at least for those who use a lot of macros. Procomm only handles 10 macros at a time. The number of macros that can be set up with Procomm is unlimited, since you can have different macro files with different names, but you can still only use 10 at a time. I mentioned using macros in scripts. Scripts are files that you write, using a script language unique to each comm program, that enable such things as auto logons and unattended on-line operation. Boyan's DOC file provides an excellent example of the type of flexibility that scripts give to a comm program, once you learn how to use the script language: "You turn your computer on and go to bed. Your AUTOEXEC.BAT file stirs BOYAN to life. BOYAN waits until 2:45 A.M., then starts dialing from a list of your ten favorite bulletin board systems. It connects to one, recognizes which it is, and logs on by sending the proper passwords when prompted by the system. BOYAN sends the command to read all new messages; these messages are saved to a disk file, and all messages addressed to you are also printed on your printer. When all messages have been read, BOYAN Zmodem-downloads the TWIDDLE.ARC file you wanted, sends a nice message to the Sysop, and logs off. BOYAN uses DOS to extract all files from the TWIDDLE ARChive. It then continues dialing from the remaining nine numbers, performing similar logons with each one. After the clock strikes 7:00, BOYAN will not dial any more numbers, although the currently-connected system will complete normally. Finally, BOYAN exits itself and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file continues." Both Boyan and Procomm have powerful script languages that could perform those functions (although, personally, I couldn't possibly go to sleep with that scenario operating all by itself). Trying to learn and test the script language from the shareware version of Procomm, however, is more difficult because the documentation does little more than list the available script commands. On the other hand, I assume that the manual provided with the registered version of Procomm would provide as much detail about using scripts as (and perhaps more than) Boyan's documentation does. As for logon scripts, Procomm has a unique automatic script-generation feature that makes things really easy and allows you to have logon scripts without learning the script language. Here's how it works: before dialing a BBS, you enter Alt-R to turn on Procomm's recording function and, when asked, enter a file name for the script. Then you dial the BBS and perform your normal logon procedures and, when you reach the point where you want the script to finish, you press Alt-R again to turn off the recording, at which point Procomm will create a logon script with the name you entered. You then add the name of that script file to the dialing directory and, the next time you call that BBS, the script will perform the logon for you. Neat, huh? Both programs come with some sample scripts to help you get started, but you'll probably eventually want to learn how to use some of the fancier features of the script language. For example, what if the BBS logon procedure changes when you log on for the second time on the same day (e.g. doesn't show the bulletin messages during the second logon)? Even with Procomm's automatic script generator, you'll either have to use a different script for the second logon or modify the basic script with an IF or similar command option to handle the different logons. In Boyan, following a suggestion in the DOC file, I used the WP[n] command, in lieu of the WF[string] command, to get around this problem. Presumably, the WAITFOR [delay] command in Procomm would provide the same solution, but I haven't tried that yet. If you want to view the contents of a text file while in the comm program, both Procomm and Boyan have a view function. However, unless you have LIST or BROWSE or some other external program, Boyan will use the DOS TYPE function, which means that you can read a file from beginning to end, but you can't go back and forth in the file, line by line or page by page. Procomm has a built-in "browse"-type viewing utility, i.e. one that let's you move through the file forwards or backwards, line by line or page by page, and/or jump to the beginning or the end of the file. What if you want someone (or yourself) to be able to call your computer and control its operation from another computer? That's called Host Mode. Procomm has a Host Mode, but Boyan doesn't. (Boyan's DOC file indicates that a later version might include it.) Both programs handle graphics displays perfectly. If you've never seen the graphics on some BBS's, you should download one of these programs just to see them once. Unfortunately, the graphics option can slow down the BBS displays appreciably and you will probably change that option rather quickly. Both programs also allow you to have large dialing directories, from which you can automatically dial and re-dial one, several or all of the entries. I found Boyan's directory procedures to be less comfortable and less informative than Procomm's. Both do essentially the same things in connection with dialing and re-dialing several numbers, but they do them in different ways. In Procomm, you tag the dialing directory entries you want to call and initiate the calls from within the dialing directory. In Boyan, you go to the Dialing Queue menu, which is separate from the dialing directory, and then select the entry numbers (i.e. the entry numbers from the dialing directory) that you want to call. A comparison of the displays will show you how much the two programs differ (in form, not substance) in this regard. In each case, the display was captured while the program attempted to find an open line among any one of the four phone numbers applicable to one BBS. Note that the Procomm display provides a wealth of information while the calls are being attempted. The following is Procomm's dialing directory display while calls are being attempted to entries 1 thru 4: ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ DIALING DIRECTORY: PCPLUS ║ ╟──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╢ ║ NAME NUMBER BAUD P D S D SCRIPT ║ ║ > 1 Computer Archives 1 9686196 1200 N-8-1 F COMPARCH ║ ║ > 2 Computer Archives 2 9682238 1200 N-8-1 F COMPARCH ║ ║ > 3 Computer Archives 3 9692301 1200 N-8-1 F COMPARCH ║ ║ > 4 Computer Archives 4 9689480 1200 N-8-1 F COMPARCH ║ ║ 5 IBMPC-BBS of Tampa 9636362 1200 N-8-1 F TAMPABBS ║ ║ 6 Professional Data Xchng 9206490 1200 N-8-1 F PROFDATA ║ ║ 7 1200 N-8-1 F ║ ║ 8 1200 N-8-1 F ║ ║ 9 1200 N-8-1 F ║ ║ 10 1200 N-8-1 F ║ ╟╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗╢ ║║ DIALING: Computer Archives 2 LAST CONNECTED ON: 04/07/88 ║║ ║║ NUMBER: 9682238 TOTAL COMPLETED CALLS: 3 ║║ ║║ SCRIPT FILE: COMPARCH WAIT FOR CONNECTION: 45 SECS ║║ ║║ CALL RESULT: BUSY PAUSE BETWEEN CALLS: 2 SECS ║║ ║║ PASS NUMBER: 1 TIME AT START OF DIAL: 08:20:27AM ║║ ╟║ ELAPSED TIME: 4 TIME AT START OF THIS CALL: 08:20:43AM ║╢ ║╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣║ ╟║ Choice: Space=Recycle Del=Remove from list End=Change wait Esc=Abort ║╢ ║╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ The following is Boyan's display while the same calls are being made: ┌─── QUEUE-REDIALING SCREEN ───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ # System Name Telephone Number Time Attempt Status│ │··1·Computer Archives 1·······················9686196··· 8:23 ·····2··· BUSY│ │··2·Computer Archives 2·······················9682238··· 8:23······2···ABORTED│ │··3·Computer Archives 3·······················9689480··· 8:22······1··· BUSY│ │··4·Computer Archives 4·······················9692301··· 8:22······1··· BUSY│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │··············································································│ │CMDS: <Space>=START│###=add entry│─┘=phone list│Delete│Clear▐<Ctrl-Home>=Help│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Waiting for modem response... 36▒ BOYAN v.D3 ▒ Dialing:Computer Archives 2 The 36 at the bottom of the above Boyan display shows the seconds remaining in the 45-second wait for connection. (The second call to item 2 was aborted intentionally before capturing this display.) The file downloading procedures in both programs are basically the same, are easy to use and provide you with all the information you'd want -- with one exception. Procomm does not give you continuous on- screen advice as to how long you've been on-line. You have to press Alt-T to get a pop-up display of on-line time and I could never get it to pop-up during a download. This is not necessarily significant during downloads, since the on-screen information does tell you how many bytes and blocks have been downloaded, but I would have preferred seeing the on-line time constantly on-screen, as in Boyan. (I have not yet tested either program for uploading files.) A really nice feature in both programs is the ability to pre-set a directory to which downloads will be written and a directory from which uploads will be read. Both programs allow access to external file-transfer protocol programs, such as Zmodem -- and I'd like to digress here for a moment to discuss that. I'm not an expert in using Zmodem, but I have tried it and I'm told that it can really be a godsend when you need some of its unique features. For example, Zmodem will adjust its transfer rate automati- cally up or down to conform with line quality. Also, if a file transfer is aborted, Zmodem has a crash recovery procedure that allows you to begin again later where you left off (instead of having to begin the transfer from the beginning as you would with other protocols) by using the -r switch. For a discussion of this and other protocols, download the file PROTOCOL2.ARC. Zmodem is available in either DSZ0222.ARC or DSZ0329.ARC, the latter being the latest version. You may want to start with the earlier version, since I have seen comments to the effect that the latest version may have some bugs in the upload process. Don't try to understand all of Zmodem's documentation -- it's a tad complicated -- but review it for the basic information about switches and options. All you really need from the archive is DSZ.COM. Also, download BOYAN.ZMD for the information you'll need to use Zmodem with Boyan (the Boyan archive I downloaded already had that information incorporated in the default configuration), and Z4PCPL.ARC for the information you'll need to use Zmodem with Procomm. Or, in lieu of downloading those two files, the following is all you need to know for using Zmodem with Procomm or Boyan: Using Zmodem with Procomm: Installation: 1. Access the PROTOCOL function of Procomm by pressing ALT- S and selecting the PROTOCOL OPTIONS menu bar. 2. Change the External 1 download protocol file name to DSZDOWN. 3. Change the External 1 upload protocol file name to DSZUP. 4. Copy DSZUP.BAT and DSZDOWN.BAT (see below) into the directory containing Procomm. 5. Download files by pressing PAGE DOWN and selecting DSZDOWN (protocol # 14). 6. Upload files by pressing PAGE UP and selecting DSZUP. Batch file listings: DSZUP.BAT ECHO OFF DSZ sz \directory\%1 ECHO ^G DSZDOWN.BAT ECHO OFF DSZ rz \directory ECHO ^G How you put the Ctrl-G in the last line and how it will look in the files will depend on what method you use to create the files. Also, replace "\directory" with the path specifica- tion, i.e. directory name(s), where the file is located. To activate Zmodem's crash recovery procedure for aborted uploads or downloads, include -r between sz or rz and the directory name. For example, you could create (and include in the external protocol configuration) two additional batch files named CRASHUP.BAT and CRASHDWN.BAT, which would be the same as the above, except that the second line would be either "DSZ sz -r \directory\%1" or "DSZ rz -r \directory", respectively. Using Zmodem with Boyan: Select item 2 from the external protocols menu and then, in response to the highlighting prompts, enter: [73]: Zmodem UPLOAD \DC[\P:DSZ port \MD speed \MS handshake on sz \VV] [74]: Zmodem DOWNLOAD \DC[\P:DSZ port \MD speed \MS handshake on rz -y] Finally, as to using Zmodem with Procomm, you'll note in the DSZ documentation that Zmodem and Procomm are not 100% compatible. Here's what it says: "DSZ may not operate properly when called from Procomm if Procomm has files open at the time.... and you still don't have Command Download and file AutoDownload." You'll have to struggle through the Zmodem documentation to find out what "Command Download and file AutoDownload" refers to. The Zmodem documentation also mentions the possibility of having to use the CON option in the Zmodem command line with Procomm in the Host mode, but this comment is not mentioned in the separate section devoted to Procomm Plus. In any case, I was able to download files via Zmodem from within Procomm Plus, by using the batch files discussed above, and from within Boyan, using the configuration discussed above. Both Procomm and Boyan have a very convenient split-screen function for use with the conference or CB simulators in CompuServe, Genie and other services. Both appear to function in the same way, the only difference being that Procomm calls it "Chat Mode" and Boyan editorializes a bit by calling it "Gossip Mode". The split-screen mode allows you to prepare and edit a text line for transmission in the bottom part of the screen while watching the ongoing on-line dialogue in the top part of the screen. The line you prepare in the bottom part is not trans- mitted until you press Return. (In CompuServe's CB simulator, if you enter the /noecho command, you will see your comment exactly as and when it is received and seen by other on-line participants.) One relatively significant difference between Procomm and Boyan is the ease with which you can perform file management and DOS functions without having to go to DOS. The difference is obvious when you compare the main help menus (see above) in the sections entitled "File/DOS Commands" in Boyan and "Other Functions" in Procomm. As you can see, Boyan provides more flexibility in this regard. While you're comparing those two help menus, note also the "User Hot Keys" under "Other" on the Procomm menu -- they can be configured to run two external programs. In addition, there's also a hot key to call your own text editor. And another configurable hot key in Procomm places a three-line menu at the top of the screen that can be very helpful until you get used to all the commands. Here's what it looks like if called when you first run the program (with "Dial" highligh- ted): Dial File Emulate Gateway Change Help Quit Terminal More Dialing Directory. <Alt-D> ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Note that the second line describes the purpose of the highlighted item. Depending on which item is highlighted, pressing Return will either call up another menu list or take you to the appropriate part of the program for action. For example, pressing Return when "Dial" is highlighted takes you to Procomm's dialing directory. Another unique and very helpful feature available in both programs is the ability to go back and read text that has scrolled off the screen. This can be done while on-line or after going off-line. In addition, both programs allow you to save full screen displays to a disk file or to have all incoming data saved (logged) to disk. Plus, anything that can be saved in disk file can also be directed to the printer, or it can be saved to both disk and printer at the same time. There's a lot more that both programs can do, but I'd prefer to allow you to discover them on your own. I feel obliged to mention also that I had trouble, while using Procomm, in downloading a huge (360K-plus) file from a local BBS. I tried downloading twice with Ymodem and once with Xmodem, but each time I experienced unexplained disconnects at different points in the down- load. Later, I successfully downloaded the file with Boyan, using Xmodem. I am reasonably sure that the problem was with the BBS and not with Procomm, and that the fact that the successful download occurred when I was using Boyan was coincidence, but I thought I should mention it anyway. My strong suggestion is that you try both Procomm and Boyan and find out which one is more comfortable for you. Based on my initial evaluation, I happen to feel more comfortable with Procomm, but there's a sysop out there that has apoplexy every time I even suggest the possibility that any comm program might be better than Boyan -- and he claims to have tried just about every shareware comm program available (and some of the commercial ones). I hasten to add that my current preference is only a preliminary judgement and I intend to continue to evaluate both programs for a while before registering and paying for my final choice. If I run across any significant problems in either program, I'll upload a supplement to this file. In the meantime, an open discussion in the message area about these and other comm programs by those of you who have used them would be helpful to all of us. **********