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Text File | 1985-05-29 | 13.4 KB | 331 lines

Revised 2/15/85 SOME PC-TALK VERSION B MACROS The PC-TALK version B has macro capabilities which give it a lot more power than the original version. Jim Gainsley has made a quite drastic improvement in the program and to understand this doc file fully, you should have already read PC-TALKB.DOC and particularly the section regarding macros. When reading the file, pay particular attention to the different type of macros available. Jim has just added a type 5 macro which eliminates most of the manual pacing which was required in PC-TalkA level 841130. Among some of PC-TalkB's macro features are: The ability to wait for a character and send a string of characters, i.e. wait for ! and send a GO PCS-131. Note that PC-TalkB can only wait for one character, and not a string of characters. Thus when choosing a character to key off of, it is very important to choose the right one. Timed Pacing: While executing macros, it is possible to have the macro pause in places in which CIS has pauses, e.g. Request Recorded, One Moment Please. Timed pacing is necessary with PC-TalkB because CIS frequently cannot accept the transmission when PCTB is sending it. If you do not have the pacing down correctly, you may experience transmission errors. PC-TalkB will then give the message, "***MACRO TERMINATED***" message. Execute PC-TALK Commands: Commands such as open a capture file, call an alternate key input file, and clear the screen may be programmed into a macro. This is an extremely nice offering as it is now possible to capture a file without specifying a name. This is done via an Alt key file and will be explained in a sample macro below. In this release of PC- TALK, he has also added a PC-TALK.ALT file which if present is loaded as a default alt key file. You no longer have to interrupt your macro to specify an alt key filename. Lastly, you can write macros which can execute a series of commands including accepting variable input fields. With this much power, it is almost possible to do a unattended download. Only thing which prevents it from being unattended is the fact that you cannot execute a macro at a particular time of day. The following are some of my macros which I use for the IBM sig: *********************************************************************** PLEASE NOTE: Any references to asciixx (where "xx" is a two digit number) requires that you must enter the ascii value inside of your PCTA macro by holding the alt key down and entering the "xx" value via the numeric keypad. If you have ProKey, then you must hold down the Alt *and* Left Shift key. After entering the number, effect is given upon release of the key(s). *********************************************************************** 1 1001|2O~^C|2:70000,0000}|2:pass*word}|2S^PG PCS131} This first macro simply logs me onto the sig. 1001 is a type 1 macro which simply dials directory number 1. It just so happens that CIS is the first entry in my PCTB directory. The |20~^C portion of the macro, a #2 macro, waits for a 0 in CONNECT 1200. The tilde informs PC-TalkB to wait 3 seconds before sending a control C. Notice that for illustrative purposes, control C has been pictured as ^C. The ^ means the Control key. You should actually hold the control key down and press C once. NOTE: This option may not work unless you set the X1 parameter in the PC-TalkB Default file under "Modem Init". (Alt-F in terminal mode.) To do this, simply type ATX1. (Sorry, only Hayes compatible modems may use the AT command.) This allows you to see the message CONNECT 1200 rather than just CONNECT. If you can't get this portion to work, try waiting for the "T" in CONNECT instead, e.g. |2T~^C. (The reason I key off of the "0" in 1200 instead of the "T" in CONNECT is to let the Hayes settle down a bit. The macros seem to work much better if this parameter is entered.) |2:70000,0000}|2:pass*word} is pretty much self explanatory. The type 2 macro waits for a character and sends a string of characters. In this case, we are waiting for the ":" in "User Id:" and sending the CIS account number. The "}" represents a carriage return and should be entered as such in the Alt-K macro section. |2S^PG PCS131} is another type 2 macro. I wait for the capital S in CompuServe and send a control P. Once again, notice that I am using the ^ symbol for the control key. Use the control key and hold down P instead of entering the carat symbol. The CIS ^P interrupt is used to bypass both the 1200 baud message and the CIS-1 main menu. It is an extremely quick method for logging into the sig. After all, these macros are designed to save CIS connect time. Upon sending the interrupt, G PCS131 is sent. G PCS131 is an abbreviation for GO PCS-131. If you happen to be a regular member of the INF, substitute G PCS129 instead. 1001|20~^C|2:70000,0000}|2:pass*word}|2S^PG PCS131}|2:~ |3R|48|5RTN}}}}}OFF}|2(ascii04)~(esc)|2E~Another successful download!!!! The first portion of this macro has been explained in the previous macro. |2:~|3R|48 waits for the ":" in "Function:". It then does a 3 second pause pause, opens a file (type 3 macro executes a PC-TALK command), and calls the filename from the Alt-8 position of the alt key file which was originally defined in a PC-TALK.ALT file. It then performs a type 5 macro which sends the string "RTN". The type 5 macro has just been added to this release of PC-TalkB. Previously you had to perform a type 2 macro and a 3 second pause to start a macro from a standstill. The type 5 macro has eliminated the need for this. 2 After sending the "RTN", five carriage returns are pumped into the buffer. This is done to skip past any "(UA RE T):" messages which are present with marked messages waiting for you. Please keep in mind that in order to have these macros work effectively, you need to set your sig options (OP at the Function: prompt to non-stop (NS) and brief (BR)). If you are an active member, you may need to enter more than 5 carriage returns. Sysops typically have to enter at least 10 to allow them to download without monitoring its progress. After PCTB sends its carriage returns, the macro sends an "OFF". This simply sends an OFF at the Function: prompt. It is very well possible that you send more carriage returns then messages received. If this is the case, the extra returns will be sent at the "Function:" prompt. This will not do any harm. With all of this in mind, you now have the luxury of getting up and making yourself a nice hot pot of coffee instead of monitoring your thread download. ALT KEY FILES The main use (for me) of using Alt key files is to store filenames and various ppn's. The purpose of the type 3 and 4 macro combination is to allow you to capture a file to diskette without specifying a filename. This is just one extra goody that Jim has provided us. Other Alt keys I find quite helpful are cat *.*}, cat/des}, and cat/age=}. The } symbol represents a carriage return. The next portion |2(ascii04)~(esc) works on the Smartmodem. Whether it works on other modems, I'm not sure. As PCTB drops comm from CompuServe, it receives an ascii04 (looks like a solid diamond). The (esc) key closes the capture file currently open. I have used this as the character I key off of. I am however relying that the fellow members of this sig do not enter this charac- ter in any of their messages. If such is the case, the macro will end prematurely. NOTE 1: ascii04 must be entered by holding down the Alt key and pressing "04" (without quotes) on the numeric keypad. (Prokey must be de-activated) NOTE 2: Waiting for unusual ascii characters such as ascii04 has unpredictable results with certain versions of Sidekick. Finally the last portion of the macro is my dry sense of humor. I was so happy getting the macro to work consistently, I added the message "Another successful download!!!". This message is keyed off of the "E" in "NO CARRIER". To each his own <grin>. You'll like the tune it plays at the end of the macro!!! DL DATABASE MACROS |5DOW |2(ascii31)/PROT:CAPTURE/TYP:ASCII}|2(ascii18)~|3R|2(ascii20)~(esc) This macro is used for capturing ascii text files or basic files stored in ascii. Make sure you are at the DLn: prompt before executing this macro. 3 |5DOW |2(ascii31) - The macro begins with the newly added type 5 macro. As mentioned before, a type 5 is used to start a macro from a dead standstill, i.e. at a "DLn" or "Function:" prompt. This portion of the macro then waits for ascii31. Ascii 31, as Jim describes in the manual, is used for variable input fields. PCTB will wait for something which it will never receive. Thus you may then enter a variable length field and have the macro continue by entering the { symbol. In case you forget to enter this symbol, PCTB will remind you that you have this option available to you on line 25 of your screen. /PROT:CAPTURE/TYP:ASCII} is the syntax used for downloading ascii files in the capture mode. Note that if you try downloading a binary file with this method, you will receive it in Intel hex. You will then need CVTBIN.COM to convert it. |2(ascii18}~|3R will have PCTB wait for ascii18 which is what CIS gives you to key off of to begin your capture. Thus PCTB will catch the ascii18, pause for 3 seconds and open a file. You must then specify the filename you wish to name it. I suppose you could call the filename from a type 4 macro and call it something like temp and rename it, but I decided against it for the reason that you may forget to rename the file after you receive it. NOTE: ascii18 looks like a twin sided arrowhead in terminal mode and a "R" in the Alt-K section. |2(ascii20}~(esc) will find the symbol, pause and then close the file. Pacing is necessary for opening and closing the files to prevent PCTB from term- inating the macro in progress. You now have downloaded an ascii file quickly and painlessly! NOTE: ascii20 looks like a paragraph symbol in terminal mode and a "T" in the Alt-K section. |5DOW |2(ascii31)/PROT:XMODEM/TYP:BINARY} This macro operates in the same fashion as the above macro; the exception being that this downloading method is for binary files. Binary files include exe, com, lbr, and dqc files. Basically, anything which is not a straight ascii file should be downloaded in binary. The advantage of an xmodem down- load is that a "hit" is not as likely to interrupt your download. I'm sure that a lot of you have downloaded hex files in ascii, only to have a "hit" destroy everything. Please note that this macro is not as automatic as the previous one. Once you receive the "Starting xmodem transfer..." message, you must physically open the file (Alt-R) and specify its filename. Fortunately, PCTB will automat- ically close it for you upon completion. Upon receiving the "eof verified" message, hit the carriage return once to bring you back to the DL prompt. Hopefully, this will give you some insight to design macros for your own personal use. Please note that I do not guarantee the accuracy of these macros and do not accept responsibility should these macros get you blown off of the system. They consistently work for me. My equipment includes an IBM PC w/ 640K, hard disk and a Hayes Smartmodem 1200. 4 I am accessing CIS through a direct node. I'm not quite certain of the results through a network. Should these macros work on other systems, I would be very happy if you could let either me or one of the Sysops know. Enjoy... Bryan Tsunoda Computer-ease [70251,202] 5