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Text File | 1987-04-01 | 21.2 KB | 539 lines

The Brain Version 3.0 Created in 1986 by Chris Jenks In return for a $15 contribution I will send you a disk containing the latest compiled version of The Brain, the Basic source code in ASCII format, the documentation, and a list of variables used in Brain and their descriptions. The source code has many comments and the variables are easy to recognize. To run the source code you will need BASICA version A2.00. My address is: Chris Jenks 1324 Bobwhite Avenue Sunnyvale, CA. 94087 This program was designed to do work on a bulletin board which is busy without needing to be present. However, there are many applications for which this program could be used, such as electronic mail, or transferring files, at any time of day or night. Before you use The Brain, you must create a file called COMMAND.DAT in an editor and save it on the default drive. This file will contain the instructions which tell The Brain what to do. This program can hold up to 500 commands. When The Brain is run, it reads this file and makes sure everything will work (Checks syntax, makes sure files to upload are available, etc.), and then it executes the commands. Later in this documentation is a list of all the commands The Brain can use, as well as their descriptions and some examples. Except in the Message and Send commands, spaces are completely ignored by the compiler, and so is the case of the command. However, each command must be on its own line. There need not be commands on comment lines. The function keys can be used to put the keyboard on line with the modem, to skip the next command in the command file, to edit the command file, or to terminate the program prematurely and return to DOS. While editing the command file you can cause The Brain to jump to another point in the command file, you can save the revised command file (under the name COMMAND.DAT), or you can restart The Brain program. These functions are displayed at the bottom of the screen. After each command below are the parameters. A parameter given in brackets ([]) is mandatory, and if it is omitted, an error will result when the command file is checked for errors. A parameter in braces ({}) is optional. If it is not specified, a default will be used. The default is given in parenthesis () next to the parameter. After the command is an explanation of it, and sometimes there are three examples of how it can be used. The commands are: * Is used before a remark. It can be put on a blank line of after a command other than MESSAGE or SEND. For example: * This is a remark. Will be completely ignored by the compiler. It won't even be counted as a line unless it is on the same line as a command. DOWNLOAD HIDEFILE.BAS * Download a utility program. Will download the file as if the comment weren't there. SEND 5, Yes * This answers the question `Lower case?' Will send the line " Yes * This answers the question `Lower case?'" to the remote computer and might mess things up. If you need to have a comment for a send line, put the comment before or after the line. SCREEN ON Starts sending the data received over the modem to the screen. It continues to do this until the SCREEN OFF command is received. SCREEN OFF Clears the screen and stops sending data received over the modem to it. MESSAGE {TEXT ()}{;()} Prints the text on the screen, but does not send it over the modem or to the dump file. If a semicolon is appended to the text, the text will be printed without a carriage return on the end. If no text is specified, a blank line will be produced. For example: MESSAGE Now dialing computer system... Would print " Now dialing computer system..." on the screen, followed by a carriage return. Notice the leading space. All spaces and tabs leading the text in the command are left in when the text is printed. MESSAGESemicolon;; MESSAGE Would print "Semicolon;" on the screen, followed by a carriage return (from the second message command). MESSAGE...hit F2 and type your password...; Would print "...hit F2 and type your password..." on the screen without a carriage return. WAIT UNTIL [hour]:{minutes (00)}:{seconds (00)}{AM/PM (AM)} Waits until the specified time until going on to the next instruction. Make sure your computer's clock is set right. The time you specify for this command can be in just about any format you like. You don't have to use the colon to separate the hours, minutes, and seconds. You can use any non-numeric character (except the space), and military time can be used. To prevent text from being burnt into the screen, use a SCREEN OFF command before the WAIT UNTIL command to clear the screen. After the WAIT UNTIL command you can turn the screen back on with SCREEN ON. For example: WAIT UNTIL 2 Would wait until 2 AM. WAIT UNTIL 2:00:30 PM Would wait until 30 seconds past 2 PM. WAIT UNTIL 14/00 Would wait until 2 PM. REPORT Starts sending statuses to a file named REPORT.DAT on the default drive. If the file already exists The Brain will append to it. Statuses are produced whenever a command is executed. It is usually the time the command is executed and what the command is. It also gives errors received while transferring files. Be sure you have enough space on the disk to hold the finished report. The file will require about forty bytes per command executed. NEW REPORT This command is the same as REPORT except that if REPORT.DAT exists it will be erased, and then a new REPORT.DAT file will be created and filled with the report information generated. NO REPORT Stops sending reports to the REPORT.DAT file. DUMP [file] Starts dumping everything that comes from the modem into the specified file. This command can be used for ASCII downloads. If the dump file already exists, it will be appended to. It continues to dump information until the CLOSE DUMP command is reached. The information sent to the dump file is not formatted by the CHANGE command. For example: DUMP LPT1: Starts printing everything that comes over the modem. DUMP SCRN: Dumps everything to the screen. This has the same effect as the SCREEN command. DUMP OUTPUT.TXT Creates the file OUTPUT.TXT and starts building it with the received information. NEWDUMP [file] The same as the DUMP command except that if the dump file already exists, it will be erased and a new file created. CLOSE DUMP Stops sending output to the file specified with the DUMP command. If there was no DUMP file specified before this command, the compiler will return an error message. OPEN AT {commport (1)},{speed (1200)},{parity (N)},{data bits (8)},{stop bits (1)} Opens the modem at the specified port. This must be done before you can use SEND, CHARSEND, MULTI DIAL, DOWNLOAD, UPLOAD, or OUT. If the modem is already open when this command is executed, it is closed, and then reopened at the new setting. In this way you can switch baud rates. For example: OPEN AT Opens the modem on the COM1: port, at 1200 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. OPEN AT 2, 300, E, 7 Opens the modem on the COM2: port, at 300 baud, even parity, 7 data bits, and 1 stop bit. OPEN AT 1, 75, S, 5, 2 Opens the modem on the COM1: port, at 75 baud, space parity, 5 data bits, and 2 stop bits. CHANGE [ASCII code of character to replace],{ASCII of replacement (0)} This command can be used to rid the received text of unwanted characters. The first parameter, the character to be replaced, is changed to the second parameter, the replacement character, if it is given. If it is not given, or if the replacement character is zero, then the character will be completely removed from the received text. This will not affect an X-modem transfer, nor will it affect text put into the dump file. For example: CHANGE 65 Will cause any capital A's received not to appear on the screen. CHANGE 7,14 Will make a note symbol come up on the screen whenever a bell is received over the modem. CHANGE 10 This would remove line feeds from received text. If you don't put this command into your command file, you may get double spaced lines if the computer you call sends both a carriage return and a line feed as a line terminator. SEND {delay in seconds (10)}{,;(,)}{text()} This command will wait the specified number of seconds after data has stopped coming over the modem before sending the text. If any data comes over the modem while it is waiting, it will start waiting again. This is done so that this program won't send text while the program on the other end is sending text. The delay should be considered carefully. Too short, and the data sent could be lost, and the call may be wasted. Too long, and the computer on the other end may hang up because of the long delay. This is one of the few cases in which spaces and case matter. The Brain will send the text exactly as you type it. You must put a new SEND command for each line you want to send. You can use this command to enter commands and messages on the host computer. If you include the delay, you must also put a comma (,) or semicolon (;) after the number to separate the delay from the text. If you do not use a comma or semicolon, the entire line, starting with the number, will be sent. If you use a comma, a carriage return will be appended to the end of the line. If you use a semicolon, no carriage return will be sent. Make sure that if you need to send a number followed by a comma or semicolon to the host computer that you include the delay in the SEND command. If you incluse a comma or semicolon without the delay then the delay will be zero. For example: SEND 5,Yes Waits for the computer on the other end of the line to stop sending for 5 seconds, then sends the text "Yes" with a carriage return to answer a question. SEND ;Type of computer: This command has a delay of zero, and it sends the string "Type of computer:" to the host computer without a carriage return. SEND I'm testing my new communications program. Sends the sentence: " I'm testing my new communications program." to be put into a message after a ten second delay. Notice the space after SEND is included in the sent text. CHARSEND [ASCII code],{ASCII code},{ASCII code}... Sends a list of characters over the modem. For example: CHARSEND 65 Will send an "A" over the modem. CHARSEND 8,8,8 Sends three backspaces over the modem. CHARSEND 12 Sends a form feed to the host computer. REDIAL {delay in seconds (20)},[phone number] Redials a number until the number answers. After dialing it waits the specified number of seconds to receive a carrier before hanging up and dialing again. After receiving a carrier the programs goes on to the next instruction. For example: REDIAL (123) 456-7890 Dials the number, waits 20 seconds for a carrier, then hangs up and dials it again. RE DIAL 35, 1234567890 Dials the number and waits 35 seconds for a carrier. REDIAL 30, 456-7890 Dials the number and waits 30 seconds for a carrier. MULTI DIAL {delay in seconds (20)} [phone numbers] END LIST [instructions] NEXT DIAL This will dial a list of phone numbers. It will call the first one, and if it is busy go on to the next one, and so on throughout the list. If one of them answers it will mark it and go on to the instruction after END LIST and continue to go through the instructions until it reaches NEXT DIAL, which will tell it to go back to the MULTI DIAL command and dial the next number. Once all the numbers have answered it will go to the instruction after NEXT DIAL. You can even have more than one MULTI DIAL in a program, but make sure to put a NEXT DIAL after every MULTI DIAL and before the next MULTI DIAL. This function can be used to call a large list of numbers without having to worry about getting stuck on a busy one. Each phone number after MULTI DIAL should be on its own line. For example: MULTI DIAL 30 423-1658 * Bulletin board numbers 334-6233 424-4547 453-8367 END LIST SEND 5, * <CR>'s to get past initial messages SEND 5, SEND 5,John * Caller's first name SEND 5,Jones * Caller's last name SEND 5,SECRET * Caller's password SEND 5, * <CR>'s to go past more messages SEND 5, SEND 5,G * Say goodbye WAIT 5 * Wait for board to hang up NEXT DIAL * Dial next number END Will call 423-1658 and wait 30 seconds for a carrier. If none is received, it will call 334-6233. If a carrier is received this time it will mark 334-6233 to indicate that it has already answered and not to call it next time. Then it will log onto and log off of the board, then it will go back and call 423-1658, and if it doesn't answer it will call 424-4547. After all four numbers have answered, it will go on to END. IF [parameters] THEN [command] The IF statement is used only after a MULTI DIAL statement has been given. It allows you to do something if a certain group of numbers have been called. The parameters are integers separated by commas. The command is any command listed, even another IF, or an END, or even REDIAL. The integer parameters stand for the position a particular phone number given in MULTI DIAL is in. For example: MULTI DIAL 423-1658 * Number 1 334-6233 * Number 2 424-4547 * Number 3 453-8367 * Number 4 END LIST IF 1,2 THEN SEND 5,Y IF 1,2,4 THEN SEND 5,N IF 3 THEN DUMP TEXT.TXT SEND 5, IF 1 THEN SEND 5,John;Jones;SECRET IF 2,3,4 THEN SEND 5,John;Jones;PASSWORD SEND 5, SEND 5, SEND 5,G WAIT 10 NEXT DIAL CLOSE DUMP END Will call the four numbers sequentially, and when one answers it will go on to the next step. As you can see in the comments above, the phone numbers are each assigned a number, and this is used in an IF statement. It will send a "Y" to 423-1658 and 334-6233, but not to 424-4547 or 453-8367. DOWNLOAD [file] Creates the specified file and downloads the contents. The file is downloaded using the X-Modem protocol. For example: DOWNLOAD BRAIN.ARC Will create BRAIN.ARC on the default drive. DOWNLOAD B:BRAIN.ARC Will create BRAIN.ARC on the B drive. DOWNLOAD BRAIN Will download BRAIN. on the default drive, and it has to be renamed BRAIN.ARC before it can be unpacked. UPLOAD [file] Sends a file to the host computer. When The Brain is first run, it will make sure that the specified file exists, and if it is missing an error message will appear. The file is uploaded using the X-Modem protocol. For example: UPLOAD BRAIN.ARC Will read BRAIN.ARC off the default drive and send it to the host computer. UPLOAD B:BRAIN.ARC Will read BRAIN.ARC off the B drive and send it to the host computer. UPLOAD BRAIN Will read the file BRAIN. off the default drive and, if it exists, send it to the host computer. OUT [file] Sends a file to the host computer. The file sent will be checked for in the compiler, and if it is missing an error message will appear. The file is sent in ASCII. This can be used to enter a message on the other end from text in a file. For example: OUT MESSAGE.TXT Will read MESSAGE.TXT from the default drive and send it line by line over the modem. OUT B:TEXT.TXT Will read TEXT.TXT from the B drive and send it to the host computer. OUT BRAIN.EXE Would probably result in a run time error because the lines send, which end in a carriage return, can't be over 255 characters long. WAIT [time] Waits for the number of seconds specified where time is a positive integer, regardless of received text. Text received is still sent to the specified outputs. For example: WAIT 5 Waits 5 seconds until proceeding. WAIT 0 Accomplishes absolutely nothing. WAIT -1 Returns an error message in the compiler. COUNT [number of times] and ENDLOOP Repeats a given sequence a given number of times. The number of times can be an integer from one to 32767. After the COUNT command is given, ordinary commands follow, and then the command END LOOP to tell it when to go back to the corresponding COUNT command. The Brain can go through 25 COUNT commands before needing to execute an ENDLOOP command. For example: COUNT 5 SEND 10, END LOOP Would be the same as typing: SEND 10, SEND 10, SEND 10, SEND 10, SEND 10, END LOOP SEND 5, COUNT 5 Would cause an error because all END LOOP's must be preceded by COUNT statements. COUNT 3 SEND 5, Yes COUNT 2 SEND 5, END LOOP END LOOP Would be the same as typing: SEND 5, Yes SEND 5, SEND 5, SEND 5, Yes SEND 5, SEND 5, SEND 5, Yes SEND 5, SEND 5, JUMP [Lines away] When this command is received, the interpreter will go to line X+lines away, where X is the line that the JUMP command is on. For example: JUMP -1 Will cause the line before the JUMP command to be repeated indefinitely. JUMP 0 Will make the computer sit there and sit there and sit there... JUMP 2 Will cause the interpreter to skip the next line. END Closes all open files and returns to the system or Basic. Here is an example of what the COMMAND.DAT file would look like if we wanted to call an RBBS-PC bulletin board, enter a message on the board, and log off of the board: Screen OFF * Clear screen and turn off cursor. Wait until 1 AM * When rates are lowest! Screen ON * So if I'm around I can see what's happening. Report * In case something goes wrong. Dump B:DUMP.TXT * I can look over what happened the next day. Open at * 1, 1200, N, 8, 1 Change 10 * Keep line feeds from printing on the screen. Send 5, * Make sure modem is listening. Send 5,ATM0 * Turn off modem speaker (It's 1 AM!) Redial 30, (215) 935-4114 * RBBS phone number. Count 3 * Unnecessary. Still uses 3 lines. Send 5, End loop * To get past initial messages. Send John * Answer "First name?" Send Jones * Answer "Last name?" Send SECRET * Answer "Password?" Send 15, * More (Y)/N/NS? on welcome. Send * C/R to pass bulletins. Send E * Enter message. Send 5, * C/R if addressed to "All". Send 5,Announcement * Subject. Send 5,N * No protection. Send 5, I have just made a program to replace the programmer! It dials a Send 5,board, loggs onto it, enters this message, and loggs off, all by Send 5,itself! Send 5, * Blank line when done entering message. Send 5,S * Save the message. Send 5,G * Goodbye. Close dump * Just for neatness. No report Screen OFF End After this file is created in an editor, just put it on the default drive under the name COMMAND.DAT and execute BRAIN.EXE. The Brain will check the file to make sure everything is spelled right and such. This section of the program has been referred to as the compiler, although it really only formats the commands. If you receive several error messages in the compiler, try to fix the first one, and then compile it again. Some errors are caused by a mistake earlier in the command file. For instance, if you get an error on an OPEN AT statement, you will get errors on all commands after that which need to interface with the modem, like SEND.