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PC-DIAL(TM) A COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM FOR THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER Version 2.0 (Evaluation Copy) ISBN 0-922692-01-7 ButtonWare, Inc. P.O. Box 5786 Bellevue, WA 98006 (c) Copyright 1984,85,86 by Jim Button All Rights Reserved. 0.1 COPYRIGHT NOTICE PC-Dial Version 2.0 (C) Copyright 1984, 1985, 1986 by Jim Button All Rights Reserved No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, natural or computer, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of ButtonWare. You are granted a limited license to use the software described in this manual. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that license. Please see the section of this manual entitled "Restricted Permission to Copy". Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ButtonWare, Inc. ButtonWare may make improvements and/or changes in this manual or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time. This product could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes may be incorporated in new editions of the publication. PC-Dial is a trademark of ButtonWare, Inc. Page i 0.2 RESTRICTED PERMISSION TO COPY PC-Dial is not a public domain program. It is Copyright(C) 1984, 85, 86 by Jim Button. The conditions under which you may copy this program and documentation are clearly outlined below. WARNING!!! The author intends to vigorously prosecute any and ALL copyright violations. Individuals are granted permission by the author to freely copy the PC-Dial diskette for their own use or for other individuals to evaluate, so long as no price or other consideration is charged. Non-profit computer user groups, clubs and bulletin boards are granted limited permission by ButtonWare to copy the diskette and share it with their members, ONLY when the following conditions are met: - No price or other consideration may be charged. A distribution cost may be charged for the cost of the diskette, shipping and handling, so long as the total does not exceed $9. - The program (including all related program files) and documentation files CANNOT be modified in any way; and both must always be distributed together - without exception. - PC-Dial CANNOT be sold as part of some other inclusive package. Nor can it be included in any commercial software packaging offer for profit without a written agreement from ButtonWare. - PC-Dial CANNOT be "rented" to others. - The program files CANNOT be distributed via computerized "bulletin boards" or other telecommunications links, without a signed agreement with ButtonWare. - In cases where ButtonWare has approved distribution via bulletin boards or through any other telecommunications link, the following must be done: a) X-Modem or some other error checking protocol must be used; b) ALL ButtonWare programs (and documentation files) must be transferred in library format. That means the program and documentation files have all been combined into one file for transmission. - The printed manual CANNOT be copied or reproduced in any way, Page ii or in any form. - The person receiving a copy of any ButtonWare product must be made aware that each disk or copy is ONLY for evaluation; and that ButtonWare has NOT received any royalties or payment for the program(s). - The person receiving a copy of any ButtonWare product MUST be made aware that he or she does not become a registered user until ButtonWare has been paid for the product(s). Technical support will only be provided to registered users (i.e., those who have paid ButtonWare for each program). Any group, person, or organization which purchases advertising space in any publication CANNOT distribute PC-Dial under the "computer club" conditions. ButtonWare prohibits the distribution of outdated versions of any ButtonWare product, unless otherwise stated or approved by ButtonWare. NOTE: PC-File/R is not user-supported software. The PC-File/R diskette CANNOT - UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES - be copied to share with others. Companies, schools, universities, government and other organizations are granted permission by the author to copy PC-Dial for CLASSROOM USE (training and educational purposes) only under the following conditions: - The full registration fee MUST be paid for the original copy of the program. - A separate copy of PC-Dial MUST be purchased from ButtonWare for each additional building where PC-Dial will be used for training. Within any building for which a copy has been purchased, the PC-Dial diskette may be copied freely for use on any computer in that building. - No cost or other consideration may be charged for each student; however, a charge may be assessed as long as it is not more than the actual cost of the disk (i.e., the purchase price of the disk); and in no case may this charge be more than $5 total. - The above building rule also applies to Local Area Networks (LAN). When multiple copies are required, PC-Dial is available at quantity discounts. See the order form in this Page iii - manual, or contact your local computer dealer. - PC-Dial (including all related program files) and the documentation on the disk CANNOT be modified in any way; and both must always be distributed together - without exception. - PC-Dial, as well as ALL other ButtonWare programs, CANNOT be sold as part of some other more inclusive package. Nor can any ButtonWare product be included in any commercial software packaging offer for profit without the expressed written consent of ButtonWare. - PC-Dial CANNOT be rented or leased. - The printed, bound documentation for PC-Dial CANNOT be copied or reproduced in any way, or in any form. However, the disk documentation may be printed out and reproduced for the students, so long as no changes are made to the documentation. A small fee may be charged to cover the reproduction costs - not to exceed $5 per student. - The following written statement must accompany each set of diskettes distributed for educational or learning purposes: 1. "These diskettes are distributed to you through the courtesy of Jim Button, of ButtonWare, Inc. No royalty of any kind has been paid for these programs which are for your use and evaluation." 2. "If you wish to receive technical support from ButtonWare, or to receive notification of updates and improvements to the program(s), you must first become a 'registered user.' You do that by purchasing each program you plan to use. That means sending in a check for the retail price of each program to Jim Button, P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue WA 98006. You may also register - using Mastercard or VISA - by calling the toll-free number, 1-800-JBUTTON." - PC-File/R CANNOT be copied for use in the classroom. - This CLASSROOM USE permission does not apply to companies, schools, universities, government and other organizations who wish to use ButtonWare programs administratively. In such cases, site licensing or volume discount purchasing are the options to pursue. - Campus bookstores may easily become authorized dealers to sell ButtonWare products at retail prices. Page iv - PHONE NUMBERS (800) J-BUTTON Toll free 24-hr. order line All 50 states, except Washington. Does not include Canada (206) xxx-xxxx Button-Net Bulletin Board *** This information deleted from your evaluation copy *** (206) 454-0479 ButtonWare business line Page v BUTTON-NET, BUTTONWARE'S BULLETIN BOARD Now that you have PC-Dial, try it out with Button-Net! Button-Net is ButtonWare's bulletin board service. It is only available to registered users of ButtonWare products. *** This information deleted from your evaluation copy *** There is no charge for using Button-Net, except, of course, the cost of the phone call. You can use PC-Dial to call Button-Net for: - ButtonWare news. - General information about ButtonWare products. - Ordering ButtonWare products. - Hints and tips on using ButtonWare products, which can be downloaded. - Swift Support - Button-Net allows for quick and easy technical support. Answers to the most common questions are provided for all registered users to read, and download if desired. Many times you will find the answer to your question the first time you call. If you don't, you can leave a message detailing your question. Your message will be answered by the technical support staff and left on the bulletin board. - Electronic Mail for sharing information with others. - Downloading programs which are made available from time to time. We have provided two sample logon files for Button-Net on your PC-Dial diskette. These two files are explained in Chapter Four. You can use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor to modify these sample files to contain your name, city and state, password, and phone number. PC-Dial's Mini-Editor is explained in the chapter titled "USING THE MINI-EDITOR". With PC-Dial, you now have access to ButtonWare all day, 365 days a year. Give us a call! Page vi Welcome to the exciting world of communications. If you have any questions, just leave a message, addressed to TECH SUPPORT, on Button-Net. Page vii Page viii TABLE OF CONTENTS 0.1 Copyright Notice.................................... i 0.2 RESTRICTED PERMISSION TO COPY....................... ii 1.0 GETTING STARTED....................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION:....................................... 1 1.2 GENERAL INFORMATION:................................ 3 1.3 REQUIREMENTS:....................................... 5 1.4 GETTING STARTED:.................................... 5 1.5 PC-DIAL AN OVERVIEW:................................ 7 1.6 HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT:.............................. 9 2.0 FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS....................... 13 2.1 LINKING YOUR PC TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD................ 14 2.1.1 The PC And The Telephone........................ 15 2.2 UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS.......................... 17 2.2.1 The Process - Step-By-Step...................... 17 3.0 USING PC-DIAL......................................... 19 3.1 MAKING IT ALL WORK.................................. 19 3.2 WHEN YOU WANT TO USE THE PROGRAM.................... 20 3.2.1 STARTING PC-DIAL................................ 21 3.2.2 INCLUDING A FILE NAME ON THE DOS COMMAND LINE... 24 3.2.3 PC-DIAL IS READY WHENEVER YOU ARE............... 25 3.2.4 QUITTING PC-DIAL................................ 25 3.3 MAKING THE CONNECTION............................... 26 3.3.1 DIALING A PHONE NUMBER.......................... 26 3.3.2 NO CONNECTION................................... 27 3.3.3 ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION....................... 28 3.4 FUNCTION KEYS....................................... 29 3.4.1 (F1) - RECEIVE A FILE........................... 29 3.4.2 (F2) - STOP RECEIVE............................. 33 3.4.3 (F3) - TURN ECHO ON/OFF......................... 33 3.4.4 (F4) - SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS........ 34 3.4.5 (F5) - SET THE DELAY COUNTER.................... 36 3.4.6 (F6) - CHANGE THE CURRENT SUBDIRECTORY.......... 38 3.4.7 (F7) - SEND A FILE.............................. 40 3.4.8 (F8) - TURN THE PEEK WINDOW ON/OFF.............. 43 3.4.9 (F9) - SEND A LINE.............................. 44 3.4.10 (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE.................... 50 3.5 ALT KEY COMMANDS.................................... 51 3.5.1 (Alt)B - SEND A BREAK CHARACTER................. 51 3.5.2 (Alt)D - USING DOS FROM WITHIN PC-DIAL.......... 51 3.5.3 (Alt)E - EDIT A FILE WITH THE MINI-EDITOR....... 53 3.5.4 (Alt)H - CALLING UP THE HELP SCREEN............. 54 Table of Contents Page ix Page x. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 3.5.5 (Alt)P - TOGGLE THE PRINTER ON OR OFF........... 55 3.5.6 (Alt)Q - QUIT PC-DIAL........................... 56 3.5.7 (Alt)R - RETRANSMIT THE PREVIOUS LINE........... 57 3.5.8 (Alt)S - SNAPSHOT IMAGE TO DISK................. 57 3.5.9 (Alt)T - RESET THE TIMER........................ 58 3.6 IMBEDDED COMMANDS................................... 59 3.6.1 \BELL - RING A BELL............................. 60 3.6.2 \CHDIR - CHANGE THE CURRENT DOS SUBDIRECTORY.... 60 3.6.3 \COLOR - SET THE COLOR ON YOUR DISPLAY.......... 62 3.6.4 \COM - SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS........ 63 3.6.5 \DELAYC - SPECIFY A DELAY COUNTER BETWEEN CHARACTERS. 64 3.6.6 \DELAYL - SPECIFY A DELAY COUNTER BETWEEN LINES. 66 3.6.7 \DOS - EXECUTE A DOS COMMAND.................... 67 3.6.8 \ENDLINE - SEND DESIGNATED CHARACTERS AT THE END OF A LINE. 68 3.6.9 \FILTER - ESTABLISH FILTERS FOR INCOMING DATA... 69 3.6.10 \KEYIN - KEYIN CHARACTERS...................... 70 3.6.11 \PEEK - TURN PEEK WINDOW ON/OFF................ 71 3.6.12 \RECYCLE - LOOP TO THE TOP OF THE TRANSMIT FILE. 72 3.6.13 \REM - REMINDER TO THE OPERATOR................ 73 3.6.14 \REPEAT - REPEATEDLY SEND DATA TO THE MODEM.... 74 3.6.15 \SMART - SMART KEYS............................ 75 3.6.16 \TOFILE - BRANCH TO ANOTHER FILE............... 76 3.6.17 \WAITFOR - RESPONSE PAUSE OF TRANSMISSION...... 77 3.6.18 \WAITUNTIL> - TIMED PAUSE OF TRANSMISSION...... 78 3.6.19 \WAITUNTIL> - TIMED PAUSE OF TRANSMISSION...... 80 4.0 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS................. 83 4.1 USING THE AUTOMATIC FEATURES........................ 83 4.2 PROFILE FILES....................................... 84 4.2.1 CREATING A .PRO FILE............................ 85 4.3 .LOG FILES.......................................... 85 4.3.1 CREATING A .LOG FILE............................ 89 4.4 SMART KEYS.......................................... 90 4.4.1 CREATING SMART KEYS............................. 92 5.0 DOWNLOADING FILES..................................... 95 5.1 RECEIVING (DOWNLOADING) FILES....................... 95 5.2 STOP RECEIVING A FILE............................... 96 6.0 UPLOADING FILES....................................... 99 6.1 SENDING (UPLOADING) FILES........................... 99 6.1.1 The difference between (F7) and (F9)............ 99 6.1.2 Learning the Steps.............................. 99 6.1.3 The \DELAY counter.............................. 101 6.1.4 The Peek Window................................. 102 6.1.5 The Scan Window................................. 103 6.1.6 retransmit line................................. 103 6.1.7 Imbedded Commands............................... 103 Page x Table of Contents PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page xi. 6.1.8 (F10), Stop Sending File........................ 104 6.1.9 Saving Time..................................... 104 7.0 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E.......................... 105 7.1 FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE MINI-EDITOR............. 106 7.1.1 How to use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor................ 106 7.1.2 The Editing Window.............................. 107 7.1.3 Saving a File................................... 108 7.1.4 The Escape Key.................................. 108 7.1.5 Moving the Cursor and Scrolling................. 109 7.1.6 Function Keys................................... 109 7.1.7 The Command Line................................ 111 7.1.8 Imbedding unusual ASCII characters.............. 115 7.1.9 Printing Files Created With The Mini-Editor..... 116 7.1.10 The Mini-Editor As A Handy Tool................ 116 @.1 Error Messages...................................... 119 APPENDIX A. A FEATURES CHECKLIST.......................... 123 APPENDIX B. SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0........ 127 APPENDIX C. GLOSSARY...................................... 131 APPENDIX D. THE FILES ON YOUR PROGRAM DISK................ 137 APPENDIX E. WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT............... 139 E.1 INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT STAFF. 140 APPENDIX F. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS. 143 APPENDIX G. QUICK REFERENCE CARD.......................... 147 APPENDIX H. USER RESPONSE FORM............................ 149 ORDER FORM................................................ 153 Table of Contents Page xi Page xii. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page xii Table of Contents 1.0 GETTING STARTED 1.1 INTRODUCTION: Whether you're new to communications or familiar with the concepts of linking your computer to the outside world via the telephone, you will find this newest version of PC-Dial to be a useful tool. Many new features have been added to PC-Dial, and this is a brand new edition of the manual. What has been added to, as well as enhanced, in this program has all been carefully incorporated into this manual's series of explanations. Those explanations, in effect, are the different parts or sections of this manual. Much planning has gone into not only the contents, but also the order in which everything is presented. The manual has been totally reorganized and rewritten. Input from registered users provided the base for improving both the product and manual. FOR BEGINNERS AS WELL AS PROS If you've just purchased a modem and PC-Dial, then you're ready to get started. Reading through this entire manual, section by section BEFORE you do anything else is the most practical way to get started. However, the layout of the manual - including the organization of the index - is structured to be used as a point of reference any time you need it. That means if you read just enough to get started (which is what most people do), once you begin using PC-Dial, this manual will help you work your way through just about anything you'll want to do. More examples and figures have been added to this manual for YOU. It's often much easier to understand something if you can see exactly what is being discussed. That's why you will find so many more examples and figures. You will also find sample files included on your program diskette. These will help you 1) get started all the faster; and 2) give you a "base" to work from - actually using such files; and then modifying them for your own specific use and purposes. If you are familiar with communications then you might want to skip over certain sections. Since this manual was written for experienced users, as well as beginners, a lot has been included to help people get started. You might want to bypass the sections on the basics and concepts of communications. Of GETTING STARTED Page 1 - Page 2. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide course, you never know what you might "re-discover" if you skim through them. COMMUNICATIONS - ANOTHER TOOL FOR YOUR COMPUTER The focus of this manual is to help you get the most out of PC-Dial. For whatever reasons, there are those who still consider communications "mysterious" or "something I'll get around to later." While those same people can "zip" around their PC keyboards, working with word processors, databases, and spreadsheets, they tend to "freeze up" once they leave "familiar" territory. And therein lies the problem. Too many people just haven't gotten around to the marvels of electronic mail, and exploring bulletin boards . . . only because it is new territory. Well, now, especially with the growth of electronic mail, more and more people are considering using communications as one more computer tool. The convenience, luxury, and ease of sending a letter or report to someone without ever getting up from your keyboard is just too much to pass up or ignore. And, like so many other aspects of computing, people find that communications really isn't hard to get used to. In fact, after learning the "ins and outs" of communications, people say what we have all heard - and said - "I can't believe how simple that is." That last paragraph is not meant to over-simplify an extremely complex area of computing. Those complexitites are all, however, something the user really doesn't need to be concerned with. You don't need to know how the phone line connections are made; or even how the computers on the "other end" do what they're doing. You only need to a) hook up your modem; and b) learn the commands and the steps in using your communications program (i.e., PC-Dial). Actually what it all boils down to is this: Using communications is like anything else in computing. You have to ease into it. Remember the first time you worked with a word processor or a spreadsheet? One skill is built upon another. You started out slow and very carefully. Then, little by little you picked up speed. Before you knew it, you had it all down. Communications is no different. That brings us back to this manual . . . use it as a guide to get started; and also to get the most out of PC-Dial. You're about to embark on one of the most exciting and rewarding areas of computing. Oh, a word of advice: If you run into any problems getting started, before you PANIC, check to see if you've turned Page 2 GETTING STARTED PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 3. on your modem. 1.2 GENERAL INFORMATION: PC-Dial is a general purpose asynchronous communications program. You need to have a modem - either connected to, or installed in, your PC. PC-Dial will work with your modem to handle your communications needs. Don't let PC-Dial's simple and straightforward approach fool you. Its capabilities surpass many of the more expensive (and complex) communications programs on the market today. The approach with PC-Dial is practical and logical. That's what makes it so easy to learn and use. With PC-Dial you'll be able to: - Send and receive electronic mail. - Explore the world of Electronic Bulletin Boards. - Link your computer directly to someone else's computer to exchange data. - Use any DOS command (like DIR or COPY) without leaving PC-Dial. - Use a built-in Mini-Editor to create or edit logon files. You can even write memos or letters - all within PC-Dial. Ease of use is the key word for this type of word processing. - Get a help screen whenever you need it. This screen also shows the defined Smart Keys (i.e., macros). - Set up Smart Keys to save keystrokes. You can have up to 12 Smart Keys; which simply let you combine a series of keystrokes and commands into a "string" that is permanently saved. As the name implies, Smart Keys help you work smarter, not harder. - You can time how long you are on-line. This is better known as getting a rough idea of how much you're "racking up" on your phone bill. PC-Dial's on-screen timer shows both time of day and elapsed time. It can be reset at any time. - Communicate at speeds from 300 and 1200 all the way up to 9600 baud. The only limitation here will be the speed of your serial port and modem. GETTING STARTED Page 3 Page 4. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide - Exchange (send or receive) text files with other computers. While sending text files, you have the option to send selected lines from a file while skipping past other lines not to be sent. - Exchange (send or receive) non-text (.EXE or .COM) files with other computers which support the X-Modem (CRC or Checksum) protocol. - Use modems which support auto-dial. This includes not only the Hayes SmartModem, but also a variety of other modems which use other commands to auto-dial a phone number. - Use modems which don't support auto-dial. - Have PC-Dial automatically redial a phone number over and over again, until connection is made. - Build automatic logon sequences of any length, to enable you to log on to a variety of remote computers without having to remember phone numbers, passwords and access commands. - Set up "scripts". You "map out" the sequence of events (i.e., the script) for PC-Dial to follow. From that point on PC-Dial can take care of it all from logon to logoff, including returning to DOS. - Capture incoming data to a disk file. - Move back and forth between different subdirectories for retrieving and sending data. - Save a "picture" of your screen to disk at any time. - Set up your own "filters" to remove or change undesirable characters in the incoming data. - Throttle or "slow down" the speed at which you transmit, so as not to overrun the computer at the other end. - Adjust and easily reset your communications parameters, such as Parity, Speed, and number of data bits. - Change the colors on your display (if you have a color display). - Communicate properly with computers which use XON/XOFF characters. Page 4 GETTING STARTED PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 5. - Switch your printer on or off to print files and data being downloaded. - A "PIF" file is provided for running PC-Dial under MicroSoft Windows and Topview. - Enter logon files from the DOS command line. PC-Dial is easy to use, simple to understand, and powerful. It has been designed with you in mind. It's not only simple to get started with PC-Dial; but the advanced features are there when you need them. Look at PC-Dial as a finely tuned racing car. You can easily drive it back and forth to the grocery store. However, when you're ready for the open road . . . you can really take off! 1.3 REQUIREMENTS: PC-Dial requires a 256K or larger IBM PC or compatible (with DOS 2.0 or later), one disk drive, and a serial I/O port with a Modem. If you want to run the Mini-Editor you will need 220K. You also need a video monitor capable of displaying 80 characters per line. A printer is not required, but you will find that it does come in handy to print out files like messages, letters, reports, and program source code listings. This version of PC-Dial will NOT run on the PCjr. 1.4 GETTING STARTED: 1. Ideally, you should read through the entire manual first. The temptation you face is "jumping right in" and getting started using the program. It's really best, however, to find out as much as you can about PC-Dial and how it works before you do anything else. The best way to do that is to read the manual. You'll be surprised at how much you "absorb" and learn. While there are those who feel they can bypass the manual, we strongly suggest reading ALL of the manual. The general "rule of thumb" is that for every minute not spent reading the manual initially, you will spend AT LEAST five minutes thumbing through these pages. The most significant aspect of reading through the manual is that you become familiar with the manual itself. Then you have a good idea of where the information is located. That way when you GETTING STARTED Page 5 Page 6. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide do need to look up something in the manual you will feel more comfortable "knowing your way around." 2. Copy the "PC-DIAL.EXE" program and the "PC-DIAL.PRO" file, as well as the other files on your program diskette, to a blank disk formatted with DOS. This will become your communications disk. You can also copy all of these files to a hard disk, if you have one. Example: COPY A:*.* B: 3. Put your PC-Dial distribution diskette (i.e., the one you received from ButtonWare) in a safe place. You may need it someday for "backup" purposes. 4. Turn on your modem. Be sure your modem is properly connected to both the phone line and your PC. 5. To run PC-Dial, assign the "logged on" drive to the disk that contains the PC-Dial program. That means you want to be sure you are working on the disk drive (or area of your hard disk) that contains the PC-Dial program files. If you are running PC-Dial from Drive A, you would type: PC-DIAL 6. You may be asked to choose one of six pre-defined communications protocols. You can probably choose number two, as this is the most common one in use. You can find out more about these protocols in your IBM BASIC manual (the one you received with your PC). Turn to the section on the OPEN "COM... statement. 7. You will be dialing the phone number of the computer or information utility with which you wish to communicate. When you hear the high pitched squeal from the other end, you can switch your modem to "data" mode and you should be connected. Your PC's monitor may display the word CONNECT. If you have an auto-dial modem, please read carefully the section of that modem's manual on using auto-dial modems. 8. When you're through communicating you have two options. You can hang up and return to DOS or you can dial another number. To dial another number you will need to exit from where you were connected. Then dial the next number. If you want to return to DOS just type in (Alt)Q (while holding down the Page 6 GETTING STARTED PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 7. "Alt" key, press "Q"). This will cause PC-Dial to return control back to DOS. 9. Depending on the type of modem you have, you might then have to switch your modem back to "talk" mode. 1.5 PC-DIAL AN OVERVIEW: PC-Dial will do just about anything you'll ever want when it comes to communications. Remember that it's just like any of your other programs; it can't do any more (or less) than what you know how to make it do. That simply means that the more you know about using the program, the more you will be able to do with it. Take things a step at a time, especially if you're just getting started. You will be building one skill upon another until "all the pieces fall into place". Keep in mind that the worst thing that can happen at any point is that you will lose a connection. It's sort of like one computer hanging up on the other. But, you can always redial and get reconnected. There are different concepts involved with communications. There's no getting away from that. As long as you learn the commands, you won't have any problems. In fact, you'll have a lot of fun. So much fun that you need to be warned about a subtle "danger" of communications. That danger lies in having such a great time on-line linked with other computers (and people, of course) that you forget about the monthly phone bill. Don't forget that long distance phone calls have a way of adding up. IT'S REALLY A TOOL It doesn't take long to become familiar with using PC-Dial. Fortunately, most cities and towns in the United States have local bulletin boards you can call. Not having to pay for a long distance phone call makes "visiting" electronically even more fun. In yet one more way you are now using your computer as a tool - to communicate and share information with others. There's really a thrill in sending and receiving data with your computer. The term electronic mail is becoming more popular all the time. This is for a very good reason. Electronic mail is convenient, easy and so trouble-free that it tends to make you wonder how you ever got along without it. The term electronic mail means that you can send a letter, report, or document right from your GETTING STARTED Page 7 Page 8. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide computer to someone else. The best part of all is that this is done entirely without ever leaving your computer keyboard. You can subscribe to electronic mail services like MCI Mail and ITT Dialcom; or you can even use the electronic mail of bulletin boards. Most bulletin boards offer such a mail service locally. There are some, like FIDONET, that cover many parts of the United States. Again it needs to be stressed that long distance phone bills can add up. If you are new to communications you might find it hard to understand how addicting all of this can be--that is until you actually try it yourself. MAKING IT ALL WORK When you think about it, "traveling" all over the place through your computer is pretty futuristic. But, looking at it in "down to earth" terms, it's all done right from your keyboard. To get the most out of PC-Dial you need to understand how it works. That's what this manual is all about. Here are the secrets to gaining the most success with PC-Dial: - Read ALL of the manual. - Review the section on Frequently Asked Questions And Common Problems. - Mark up the manual, including making notes in the margin. Look at it this way: Underline or highlight anything you want to remember. Use paper clips to mark the pages you think you will refer to the most. - Use this same process for reading the manual that came with your modem. Remember that PC-Dial and your modem work together. You should know as much as possible about each one if you want to get the most out of them. - Become familiar with all of the commands. Try them out. Play around with variations. Don't be afraid to experiment. It is only by working with the commands that you will become familiar with them. Also, by doing this you will discover aspects to PC-Dial that you didn't realize you could use. - Take advantage of Smart Keys. These will save you so much time. They will also help reduce errors, by eliminating repetition. Any keystroke, command, or series of keystrokes and commands can be included in Smart Keys. Page 8 GETTING STARTED PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 9. - Learn how to use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor. This will quickly become a tool that is "second-nature" to use for 1) editing logon files; 2) doing memos and notes; and 3) even writing letters. All of this can be done without leaving PC-Dial. - Don't forget about having the ability to use DOS commands while in PC-Dial. That means you can look at directories, copy files, or use any other DOS commands. Again, you can do all of this right within the program. - Set up .LOG files for the computers you call most frequently. - Whenever you need help, press (Alt)H. This will also display which Smart Keys you have defined. - Use PC-Dial's timer to keep an eye on the length of your calls. - If you have a color monitor, set your screen colors to the colors you like. 1.6 HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT: PC-Dial works differently from ButtonWare's other products. It doesn't have what most people call a main menu. The main reason for that has to do with the way you will be working with PC-Dial. It's easy to work within the PC-Dial environment, mainly because you only need to do one of two things. You'll either type in information or enter commands. It's really that simple. While you really won't be overwhelmed with a large number of commands, there are two sources of helpful information within the program. Additionally, this manual has a Quick Reference Card which you will find quite helpful. You can get help the following ways: - You will find the uses for the Function Keys defined across one line at the bottom of the screen. - When you do need help (other than referring to the manual) just press (Alt)H. That means while holding down the (Alt) key you should press the letter H. A help screen will then be displayed which briefly highlights basic commands. - Take advantage of the Quick Reference Card at the back of the GETTING STARTED Page 9 Page 10. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide program manual. - Use the manual as much as you can. It's a great resource. Be sure you mark it up. Put paper clips on the pages you refer to most often, so you can flip right to them. Figure #1 shows what you will see on your computer screen when you first enter PC-Dial and you call up the help screen. FIGURE #1 - PC-Dial screen, including the help screen. ______________________________________________________________________ \COM1:300,N,8,1,CS,DS PARAMETERS RESET TO COM1:300,N,8,1,CS,DS \FILTER 000,, PC-Dial Version 2.0 (C)Copyright 1984,85,86 by Jim Button All rights reserved. You're ready to communicate Use (Alt)H for HELP 'Send' file is now closed. (F1) Receive (download) a file (F2) Stop download (F3) Toggle ECHO on/off (F4) Change communications parameters (F5) Throttle speed of uploading (F6) CHDIR - change directories (F7) Send (upload) a whole file (F8) Turn the PEEK window on/off (F9) Send (upload) one line (F10) Stop upload (Alt)D Do a DOS command (Alt)E Edit a file (Alt)P Turn PRINTer on/off (Alt)R Resend prior record (Alt)S Save Snapshot of Screen (Alt)T Timer reset (Alt)D Do a DOS command (Alt)E Edit a file 1=RcvFil 2=EndRcv 3=Echo 4=Parm 5=Delay 6=ChD 7=S.Fil 8=Peek 9=S.Lin 10=End.S _____________________________________________________________________ This figure shows what you see when you first call up PC-Dial, and what the help screen looks like. The definition of the Function Keys (across the bottom of the screen) and the help screen come in handy. They are also helpful reminders - many times saving the need to look up something in the manual. Any Smart Keys you define will be displayed in the help screen. ______________________________________________________________________ The details about using all of these commands are explained in Page 10 GETTING STARTED PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 11. "Using PC-Dial". The main point here is to make you aware of how to get information and help when you need it. This is an important factor when it comes to getting the most out of PC-Dial. GETTING STARTED Page 11 Page 12. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 12 GETTING STARTED 2.0 FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS This chapter is for those who are new to communications. In other words, you've just gotten a modem and PC-Dial. Now you're wondering just what to do next. Or maybe you do know a little, but you still need more details. How does it all work? What should I do first? How do I get started? What's the best way to approach all of this? These are just some of the questions that tend to haunt anyone just getting started in the realm of computing known as communications. The term "communications" simply means to use your computer with telephone lines. Many people make the mistake of thinking this area of computing is too hard or complicated. Before you spook yourself into believing any of that, keep in mind the following: - Take it one step at a time and you won't have any problems. - Don't be afraid to try things. - It's only natural to be a little nervous when you're trying something new. - You don't need to be an "expert" to use your PC in yet one more way. - You're in for a pleasant surprise and lots of fun. - Learning new concepts, as well as some new commands, is really about all you're going to be doing. - If this area of computing was a pill, it would turn out to be quite small and very easy to "swallow". Those points listed above really sum up the essence of what you will learn from this manual. Look at this as your guide to discovering a new way to get more benefits from your PC. You merely need to bridge the gap from knowing very little (or nothing at all) about communications to understanding the basics. And it's upon these basics that you will maximize your skills and competence. That's what this manual - and especially this chapter - is all about. Working your way through the text is literally a FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS Page 13 Page 14. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide step-by-step, guided tour into the world of communications. Along the way you will learn how it all works. That will lead you to the success and excitement of using your computer "on-line" - i.e., linking your computer to other computers via the telephone lines. Those "other computers", which are referred to as "remote" or "host" computers, are your key to sharing information, gaining knowledge, and even making new friends. Don't let your mind be clouded with questions, or even fears, about using a new program and something like the modem. Just focus on the simple fact that you are embarking in new directions with your PC. While this area might be somewhat "new", it is gaining ground all the time. There will come a time when modems and software like PC-Dial will be considered necessary "parts" of a personal computer system. You will also be pleased to know that it doesn't take much time to learn how to use PC-Dial. Again, it's just a matter of having a positive attitude; and taking it gradually, step by step. The best place to get started is right here in this chapter. So let's begin! 2.1 LINKING YOUR PC TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD Communications is still considered by many to be exotic, "uncharted territory". It's almost viewed by some as a dreadful task to avoid, if at all possible. Actually, it's really fun. It is true, however, that many people still do ignore this most useful area of computing. There are many reasons for that, but primarily it has to do with the fact that it's all totally new. A computer user has nothing to relate to when he or she starts learning how to use a modem and the software that goes with it. Up to this point, you have probably learned how to use other computer programs. Programs like word processing, databases, and spreadsheets. You've worked with a combination of those or even others. In learning those programs you had something to relate to as you learned each one. Word processing was the "next step" beyond the typewriter. Now instead of paper, you were doing everything on a screen, storing it on disk. With spreadsheets you could relate to the rows and columns on lined paper. A database could easily be compared to keeping track of information on "electronic" 3x5 cards. It's a much different story with communications. You really don't have anything to compare it to because you haven't been Page 14 FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 15. exposed to the concepts involved. Everyone has talked on a phone, but now, when it comes to having your computer "talk", well, that's a little bit different. It's important to remember that communications is really just one more step you will be taking in using your computer as a tool. What you have already learned with those other programs really does apply now. In fact, there will probably be many times when you send something you have written with your word processor over the phone lines. Database files, as well as data from spreadsheets, can also be sent over phone lines. Anything you do in communications is basically a matter of issuing commands from your keyboard. The only other "work" you will perform is typing in information. The real problem in getting started with communications is that people look at the gigantic picture, instead of the bits and pieces. In other words, the newcomer often looks at communications in terms of having to understand national or global networks. Tied to that are the multitude of phone lines and connections, switching stations, gigantic computers, and on and on and on. You honestly don't have to worry about any of that when it comes to using your PC over the phone lines. Forget about all the "things" to worry over. Concentrate on this: You should be sitting in a comfortable chair in front of your PC. The modem should be plugged in (turned on, too) and connected both to your PC and the phone line. PC-Dial will be your key to making it all work. All you need to know is which commands to use or what to type in. It's really that simple. 2.1.1 THE PC AND THE TELEPHONE Using your PC in conjunction with telephone lines isn't really much different from working with other programs. The modem is actually a phone your computer knows how to use. Dialing, sending, and receiving information is all taken care of by the computer through the modem. The computer program PC-Dial is the means by which you and your PC will use phone lines . . . in other words, perform all the necessary tasks of communications. Look at the modem as just another item attached to your computer. The modem is like the printer or the monitor - connected to the back of your PC. Modems can also be "add-on" cards which fit inside your PC. Any computer you call will also have a modem. Figure #2 shows all of this in simple terms. FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS Page 15 Page 16. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide FIGURE #2 - Linking your PC to another computer. _____________________________________________________________________ +---------+ ! Your ! ! PC ! +---------+ ! +---------+ +-------+ +-------+ +----------+ ! PC-Dial !--! Your !-- telephone lines --! Other !--! PC-Dial ! +---------+ ! Modem ! ! Modem ! ! type of ! +-------+ +-------+ ! software ! +----------+ ! <Information easily can go +----------+ in either direction.> ! Remote ! ! Computer ! +----------+ ______________________________________________________________________ This shows what it looks like when you use PC-Dial to call another computer. You place the PC-Dial program in your PC, which is connected to a modem. PC-Dial is how you control what happens. Using PC-Dial, you then have your PC dial a phone number. Once a connection is made with another computer (through another modem on that end) you are ready to go. That computer "on the other end" will be using a certain type of communications software, too. Data is then exchanged between the two computers. In other words, both computers (and the people using them) can "talk" back and forth. Thus the term, "communicating". PC-Dial is how you control everything that happens while you are linked to the remote computer. You should keep in mind that many long distance connections are made via satellite. ______________________________________________________________________ Page 16 FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 17. 2.2 UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS Now you have seen what it looks like when two computers are linked together. This is really what communications is all about. A step-by-step look at the entire process allows you to transform concepts into a firm understanding of what's going on. 2.2.1 THE PROCESS - STEP-BY-STEP These steps are general in nature. That means you won't get all the details. "Using PC-Dial" contains all of that information. For now we just want to cover the basic concepts. Don't hesitate to refer to Figure #2 while you follow the steps below. The purpose in all of this is to carefully walk you through what you will soon be doing. Here's what happens when you use PC-Dial: - You turn on your PC and your modem. - You start up PC-Dial. - PC-Dial dials the phone number of the remote computer you want to call. - Your call will be placed just as if you had dialed with a regular telephone. This is done over phone lines or via satellite. - Your call is received on the other end by the remote computer, which also uses a modem and communications software. - Once your call is received you will be connected. - At this point the steps vary a little among different remote systems. Basically, you will be performing a few commands to complete your initial connection. This will lead you to being "on-line" and ready to work with that computer. - The options you will have on-line with the remote computer depend on what that system has to offer. Normally you will be working from some type of menu, very similar to the kind you work with in programs. - When you are through working with the remote computer you will disconnect. Many systems have you type in the word BYE FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS Page 17 Page 18. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide when you are done. Another common word is EXIT. The system will inform you of how to leave. - You can now stop working with PC-Dial; or have it dial another number for you. Dialing another number begins this process all over again. APPLYING THE CONCEPTS Up to this point, we have looked at "things" in somewhat of a general way. Now you're ready to start learning all the details about PC-Dial. Whether or not you realized it, the steps you've just read, as well as Figure #2, have prepared you to proceed on to the next chapter. Now you have a pretty good idea of WHAT you will be doing. Next you will learn HOW to do it. Page 18 FOR THOSE NEW TO COMMUNICATIONS 3.0 USING PC-DIAL 3.1 MAKING IT ALL WORK PC-Dial is your interpreter. It interprets the commands you understand and translates them into commands your modem can understand. Look at PC-Dial as the "go between" when it comes time to put your modem to work. PC-Dial also interprets what is received by your modem into information which makes sense to you. Figure #3 shows what this looks like in terms of a flow chart. FIGURE #3 - PC-Dial is actually your interpreter. ______________________________________________________________________ ╔═══════════╗ ╔═══════════╗ ╔═══════════╗ ║ ║ -----> ║ ║ -----> ║ ║ ║ YOU ║ ║ PC-DIAL ║ ║ MODEM ║ ║ ║ <----- ║ ║ <----- ║ ║ ╚═══════════╝ ╚═══════════╝ ╚═══════════╝ ______________________________________________________________________ Look at PC-Dial as your interpreter when it comes to using your modem. You really don't need to know much about communications, other than the PC-Dial commands to "talk" to your modem. Everything is taken care of by PC-Dial, your modem and your PC. ______________________________________________________________________ Before PC-Dial can interpret your commands, you must first learn to "talk" with PC-Dial. Learning the "ins and outs" of communicating with PC-Dial is the key to getting the most out of PC-Dial. It really doesn't take any time at all to learn the "basics" of PC-Dial. You don't need to know much at all to have PC-Dial dial a phone number for you. However, to use PC-Dial to its fullest potential, you must learn PC-Dial's language. The commands and features available in PC-Dial are PC-Dial's language. Once you know PC-Dial's language, you will be able to communicate with your modem and, thus, just about any remote computer system. The general steps involved in communicating with PC-Dial, your modem, and the remote computer are illustrated in Figure #2. (See "For Those New to Communications"). You send data to your USING PC-DIAL Page 19 Page 20. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide modem. You can enter data from the keyboard or upload from an existing file. PC-Dial intercepts the information you send to the modem. When PC-Dial recognizes a command, it will interpret and execute the command. The information which PC-Dial does not recognize as one of its commands will be sent to your modem. When your modem receives the information, your modem will also scan the information looking for its own commands. If your modem recognizes one of the commands, it will execute the command. The remaining data, which is neither PC-Dial commands nor modem commands, is sent over the phone line (i.e., the text or data you are sending). Thus, the remote computer will receive all information which is not a PC-Dial command or a modem command. This chapter will explain PC-Dial's language - its commands and features. Read this chapter carefully. Make notes, underline things you don't want to forget, and even use paper clips to mark the pages you will be referring to the most. The information in this chapter will illustrate how you can communicate with your modem and the remote computer. It would be impossible for us to cover every type and brand of modem available today. You will need to refer to your modem manual for information which is specific to your modem. This chapter is divided into several sections. The first section discusses how to start PC-Dial. The next sections will describe how to dial a phone number. The following sections will describe the many commands available in PC-Dial. There are actually three types of commands in PC-Dial: Function Key commands, (Alt) key commands and commands imbedded in transmit files. Each type of command will be discussed separately. 3.2 WHEN YOU WANT TO USE THE PROGRAM The PC-Dial program files can be used on either a floppy disk or a hard disk. If you have not already made a backup of your PC-Dial disk, please read and follow the directions in the "Getting Started" section of this manual before proceeding. PC-Dial requires at least 164K of available RAM memory. You can use the DOS CHKDSK command to verify that you have enough RAM memory available before starting PC-Dial. If you want to use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor you will need 220K of available RAM memory. Before starting PC-Dial, make sure your modem is connected to the Page 20 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 21. designated communications port, usually the COM1 port. We distribute PC-Dial ready to be used with a modem connected to the COM1 port. Don't forget to turn on the modem before starting PC-Dial. As simple as this "task" is, many people overlook "flipping the switch" on their modem. 3.2.1 STARTING PC-DIAL If the PC-Dial program files are not stored on your hard drive, insert the disk containing the PC-Dial program files into one of your floppy drives. To start PC-Dial, you must first log on to the drive and subdirectory which contain the PC-Dial program files. To log on to the proper drive, type the drive letter followed by a colon, then press (Enter). For example, if your PC-Dial program disk is in drive A, type: A: and press (Enter). If your PC-Dial program files reside in a subdirectory, you must log on to the proper subdirectory. After you have logged on to the proper drive and subdirectory, type: PC-DIAL then press (Enter). For example, your PC-Dial program files are located on the disk in drive A. While logged onto drive A, type: PC-DIAL (then press Enter) NOTE: You will be typing PC-DIAL next to the DOS prompt of A>. After pressing (Enter), the PC-Dial program will start. You will see the welcome message displayed on your screen. The welcome message looks like this: ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ Welcome to PC-Dial(tm) Version 2.0 ║ ║ (C) Copyright 1984, 1985, 1986 by Jim Button ║ ║ All Rights reserved. ║ ║ ButtonWare, P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue WA 98006 ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ After PC-Dial displays the welcome message, PC-Dial will load the file called PC-DIAL.PRO. PC-Dial looks on the default drive and subdirectory for PC-DIAL.PRO. If PC-DIAL.PRO exists on the default drive and subdirectory, PC-Dial will execute all of the commands found in PC-DIAL.PRO. We have provided a default PC-DIAL.PRO file to get you started. The default PC-DIAL.PRO contains the most common communications USING PC-DIAL Page 21 Page 22. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide parameters. PC-DIAL.PRO also contains a message telling you that you are ready to communicate, and how to get help if you need it. The default PC-DIAL.PRO file can be modified to suit your specific needs. You may want to change default communications parameters. You can include reminder notices and standard remarks. If you are working with a color monitor, you will want to include a command to set the screen colors. Modifying PC-DIAL.PRO to suit your specific needs will be explained in the next chapter. The PC-DIAL.PRO file as distributed by ButtonWare will display what you see in Figure #4. FIGURE #4 - Execution of default PC-DIAL.PRO file. ______________________________________________________________________ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ The automatic profile file "PC-DIAL.PRO" is executing... ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ \COM1:300,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ PARAMETERS RESET TO COM1:300,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ \FILTER,000,, ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ PC-Dial, Version 2.0 ║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ (C)Copyright 1984,85,86 by Jim Button ║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ All rights reserved. ║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ╟───────────────────────────────────────╢ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ You're ready to communicate ║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ Use (Alt)H for HELP ║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Send' file is now closed. 1=RcvFil 2=EndRcv 3=Echo 4=Parm 5=Delay 6=ChD 7=S.File 8=Peek 9=S.Rcd 10=End.S ______________________________________________________________________ This is what the screen look like when you start using PC-Dial. You are now ready to use the program. ______________________________________________________________________ If the file PC-DIAL.PRO is not found on the default disk and subdirectory, PC-Dial will prompt you to select the desired communications parameters. If PC-DIAL.PRO is not located on your PC-Dial program disk, what you see in Figure #5 will be displayed following the welcome message: Page 22 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 23. FIGURE #5 - Message if PC-DIAL.PRO file is not found ________________________________________________________________ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ PC-DIAL.PRO not found. Bypassing AutoProfile. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ SET COMM. PARAMETERS... ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 1 NO CHANGE ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 2 COM1:0300,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 3 COM1:0300,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 4 COM1:1200,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 5 COM1:1200,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 6 COM1:2400,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 7 COM1:2400,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 8 SPECIFY ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Your choice: ________________________________________________________________ If you don't have a PC-DIAL.PRO file this message will be displayed. It allows you to set the communication parameters. That means PC-Dial will then be able to work in harmony with your modem. You can also display this screen when using PC-Dial by pressing (F4). In effect, you can change to any of these or set your own (i.e., choice #8) whenever you want to. _________________________________________________________________ PC-Dial will wait until you select one of the eight options. For a description of the parameters, please see the sections on the (F4) and \COM commands. Additional information can be found in your BASIC manual which came with your PC. The information is found under the OPEN "COM statement section of that manual. It's important to note that you can display what you see in Figure #5 at any point by pressing (F4). This is explained in more detail in the Function Key section of this chapter. After PC-Dial has started and processed PC-DIAL.PRO, or you have selected the desired communications parameters, PC-Dial will turn control of the program over to you. Your cursor will be positioned in the far left column below the last message line displayed. You are ready to use PC-Dial. USING PC-DIAL Page 23 Page 24. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 3.2.2 INCLUDING A FILE NAME ON THE DOS COMMAND LINE You can include the name of any file containing PC-Dial commands on the DOS command line. The file can end with any extension, including .LOG and .PRO. The commands found in the file you choose will be processed immediately after loading the profile. Files which do not contain PC-Dial commands, such as text files and program files, should not be entered on the DOS command line. To enter another file name on the DOS command line, you use the following format: PC-DIAL filename.ext Type PC-DIAL, then press the spacebar once, followed by the name of the file. If the file does not reside on the same drive or subdirectory as the PC-Dial program files, you must specify the appropriate drive and subdirectory. Entering another file on the DOS command line can be done for several functions. You can override the existing parameters in PC-DIAL.PRO with another profile file. You can also begin transmitting an automatic logon file. We will look at an example of each of these uses below. Example 1: You have two .PRO files. You use PC-DIAL.PRO most often. PC-DIAL.PRO contains your normal communications parameters. However, sometimes, you want to change your communications parameters or screen colors, etc. You can have a second .PRO file, called 2400.PRO. 2400.PRO contains the communications parameters to communicate at 2400 baud. When you want to use the parameters found in PC-DIAL.PRO, you start PC-Dial by typing: PC-DIAL . You do not need to include the PC-DIAL.PRO file on the command line since PC-Dial automatically loads PC-DIAL.PRO. However, when you want to communicate at 2400 baud, you can include the file 2400.PRO on the command line. When PC-Dial starts, it will first load PC-DIAL.PRO, then will load 2400.PRO. By loading 2400.PRO, the communications parameters found in PC-DIAL.PRO will be changed to those found in 2400.PRO. To automatically load 2400.PRO, you would type the following at the DOS prompt: PC-DIAL 2400.PRO Example 2: Another use of the additional file name on the DOS Page 24 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 25. command line is to automatically load and begin transmitting an automatic logon file. For example, you have a file called MCIMAIL.LOG. You have configured your MCIMAIL.LOG file to automatically logon to MCI Mail. If you enter the name of the .LOG file on the DOS command line, PC-Dial will automatically begin transmitting the specified file. Please note that you do not want to include a non-automatic logon file. This is what you would type: PC-DIAL MCIMAIL.LOG You will learn how to create .PRO files and automatic .LOG files in ".PRO files, .LOG files, and Smart Keys". 3.2.3 PC-DIAL IS READY WHENEVER YOU ARE PC-Dial will automatically load and process the file called PC-DIAL.PRO. If the file PC-DIAL.PRO does not exist on your default drive, PC-Dial will prompt you to enter the desired communications parameters. PC-Dial will then process any file entered on the command line. PC-Dial will turn control of the program over to you after processing PC-DIAL.PRO and any file entered on the command line. Your cursor will be positioned in the far left column below the last message line displayed. You are now ready to use PC-Dial. You can do several things once PC-Dial has turned control over to you. You can manually enter the information to dial a phone number. You can use any of the commands represented by Function Keys or the (Alt) Key combined with other keys. You can begin transmitting an automatic logon file. The next section will discuss how to dial a phone number. 3.2.4 QUITTING PC-DIAL The (Alt)Q command is used to quit PC-Dial and return you to the operating system. To quit, hold down the (Alt) key and press Q. You will be asked, "Do you want to quit? (Y or N):" This is a feature designed into PC-Dial to help you avoid quitting by mistake. Look at this "extra step" as built-in protection. Sooner or later just about everyone comes to appreciate this safeguard feature of PC-Dial. USING PC-DIAL Page 25 Page 26. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide The (Alt)Q command is described in more detail in section titled "Alt Key Commands". 3.3 MAKING THE CONNECTION The most basic function of PC-Dial is to dial a phone number. You do not need to know how to use PC-Dial's commands or features in order to dial a phone number. You do need to know the commands required by your modem to dial a phone number. 3.3.1 DIALING A PHONE NUMBER After PC-Dial has turned control of the program over to you, you are ready to dial a phone number. The commands and steps involved to dial a phone number vary for different types of modems. The general steps involved for an auto-dial modem are: 1. You enter the command to dial a phone number, and the phone number to be dialed. 2. The modem will go "off-hook". 3. The modem will dial the phone number. 4. A connection will be established with the remote computer. You are ready to communicate. NOTE: If the modem doesn't detect a carrier signal, the modem hangs up. The following example assumes you are using a Hayes or Hayes- compatible auto-dial modem. If you are using a modem which does not use the Hayes command set please refer to your modem manual for the proper codes and commands to dial a phone number. To dial a phone number using a Hayes-compatible auto-dial modem, you use the modem command ATDT. ATDT tells the modem that you are ready to begin transmitting and that you want to dial a phone number using the Touch-Tone method of dialing. Following ATDT you enter the number to dial. In the following example, we will dial the Button-Net telephone number. With the cursor positioned in the far left column, type: ATDT 1-206-454-2629 (press Enter) Page 26 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 27. The Hayes auto-dial modem allows you to enter the dash between the area code and prefix, and between the prefix and the number. You do not need to include a dash. You could enter the above command as: ATDT 1-2064542629 (press Enter) Remember to include the area code if you will be calling long distance. PC-Dial reads the information you entered. ATDT 1-206-454-2629 is not a command PC-Dial recognizes. Therefore, PC-Dial sends all of the information to your modem. Your modem knows the ATDT command means to dial a phone number. The modem will go "off-hook" and dial the phone number, 206-454-2629. If you have an external modem, you will see the OFF HOOK and SENDING DATA lights come on. You will also hear the modem dialing the phone number. 3.3.2 NO CONNECTION After your modem dials the phone number, your modem waits for a carrier signal from the remote computer. If your modem does not detect the carrier signal from the remote computer within a certain amount of time, the modem will return a message like NO CARRIER. The NO CARRIER message will be displayed on your screen. NO CARRIER indicates that no connection was made. The NO CARRIER message will be displayed if the phone number you are dialing is busy, or if the remote computer does not answer the phone. If you are using an external modem, you will hear the busy signal if the line is busy. Your modem will hang up and return control to PC-Dial after sending the NO CARRIER message. The amount of time the modem waits before returning a NO CARRIER message when the phone number is busy or not answered is controlled by your modem. You can change the length of time the modem waits before returning the NO CARRIER message. Please refer to your modem manual for more information. USING PC-DIAL Page 27 Page 28. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 3.3.3 ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION After your modem dials the phone number, it waits for a carrier signal from the remote computer. When the remote computer answers the phone, your modem will hear a high-pitched tone. If you are using an external modem, you will also hear the high-pitched tone. This high-pitched tone is the carrier signal. The carrier signal tells your modem that the remote computer has answered the phone, and a connection has been established. When your modem detects the carrier signal, your modem will return a message like CONNECT. You will see CONNECT displayed on your screen. Once a connection has been established, you are ready to begin communicating with the remote computer. Some remote computers force you to press (Enter) several times before communicating with you. Pressing (Enter) allows the remote computer to identify the communications parameters you are using and adjust accordingly. Some remote computers force you to send a BREAK character when the connection is first made. The BREAK character is described in imbedded commands. After the connection between your computer and the remote computer is established, the remote computer will send information to your modem. The information being sent by the remote computer will be displayed on your screen. Once you are connected to a remote computer, the remote computer will take over. PC-Dial will run in the background. PC-Dial can be called at any time. Under normal conditions, you will continue to talk to the remote computer with PC-Dial in the background. You will communicate with the remote computer using your keyboard. You only need to call PC-Dial when you want to access one of PC-Dial's commands or features. The next several sections of this chapter will discuss the various commands and features which can be accessed. Page 28 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 29. 3.4 FUNCTION KEYS All ten Function Keys have been defined in PC-Dial. Some of the Function Keys also have corresponding commands, as you will learn in the section about imbedded commands. While PC-Dial is running, you will see a Function Key command summary line printed at the bottom of your screen. When the peek window is on, the Function Key summary line is replaced with the peek window information. The Function Key command summary line looks like: 1=RcvFil 2=EndRcv 3=Echo 4=Parm 5=Delay 6=ChD 7=S.File 8=Peek 9=S.Rcd 10=End.S The Function Keys may be pushed at any time PC-Dial is running; and will take effect immediately. There are two exceptions. The Function Keys are not active while you are using (F7) - SEND A FILE, or are uploading or downloading files using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. During X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC upload and download processes only (F2) - STOP RECEIVE and (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE will be active. Please note that the Function Keys will work two different ways. The definitions provided here cover the use of Function Keys while working in PC-Dial. The chapter on using the Mini-Editor will explain how the Function Keys will be used in different ways whenever you edit a file. The important thing to remember is that Function Keys work one way in PC-Dial and another way with the Mini-Editor. What follows is a listing of the definitions for each of the ten Function Keys. You will find a more complete description of the Functions Keys used for uploading and downloading files in the chapters on uploading and downloading. 3.4.1 (F1) - RECEIVE A FILE The (F1) key is used to tell PC-Dial that you want to receive or download a file. You can use (F1) to download messages from a bulletin board; download a program file from a bulletin board; create a running summary of your communications session. When you press (F1), PC-Dial will interrupt the bulletin board or remote computer you are connected to. Don't panic! You have not been disconnected. PC-Dial will take control until you have USING PC-DIAL Page 29 Page 30. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide finished answering the questions required to begin the download process. After the downloading process, PC-Dial will turn control back over to the host computer. When you press (F1), PC-Dial will ask you to enter the name of the file which will receive the data. The prompt looks like: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into: If you decide to cancel before the download process begins, just press (Enter). PC-Dial will cancel the download process. PC-Dial will display the following message. This indicates the download process has been canceled. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled If you want to see the files in the current directory, type ?. If you want to receive new data into an existing file and have forgotten the name of the file, you might want to ask for a directory listing of the existing files. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into:? You can also include the drive designator after the question mark. You do not need to include a colon after the drive letter. This will enable you to get a directory listing of files on a drive other than the current one. That means you can look at directories on any disk drive in your system. Here's an example of what you should type to see the files you have on the disk in the B drive: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into:?B If you do not want to see a directory listing of the existing files, just enter the appropriate file name. You can enter any Page 30 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 31. valid DOS file name. You can even save or download the file to a different subdirectory. If you will download the data to a drive or subdirectory other than the current drive and subdirectory, be sure to include the drive and subdirectory designations. Below are possible answers to the prompt: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into: B:TEST.COM ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into: C:\DATA\HELP.MSG ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into: SMITH.LTR If you are communicating with 8 data bits, you will be asked to select the type of data transfer protocol to use. There are three options in PC-Dial. You can transfer data using ASCII, X-Modem, or X-Modem-CRC protocol. The prompt looks like: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Receive using (A)ASCII, (X)X-Modem, or (C)X-Modem-CRC: You must use X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol to download a program file. It is recommended to download long text files using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. Short text files can be downloaded using any of the three protocols. If PC-Dial does not ask you to select between ASCII, X-Modem and X-Modem-CRC options, your communications parameters are not set to 8 data bits. If you want to download a program file, you must first change the communications parameters. Please see the information for (F4) - SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS. PC-Dial treats existing files differently depending on the protocol selected. When downloading using ASCII, PC-Dial will create or open the file to receive data if the file did not previously exist. If the file already exists on the designated drive and subdirectory, PC-Dial will notify you that the file already exists, like this: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ That file already exists. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (D)Delete it, (A)Append to it (C)Cancel D/A/C: You have the option of deleting the existing file, appending the new data to the end of the existing file or canceling the download process. If you delete the existing file, the new data will be downloaded into a brand new file. If you select USING PC-DIAL Page 31 Page 32. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide (A)Append, PC-Dial will append the new data to the end of the existing file. The existing data will not be affected. If you cancel the process, PC-Dial will leave the existing file alone and abort the (F1) - RECEIVE FILE command. When downloading using either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, PC-Dial will create a new file if the designated file does not exist. If the file already exists, PC-Dial will notify you this way: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ That file already exists. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Is it O.K. to delete it? Y/N: You will have the option to delete the existing file. If you answer "yes" by pressing the letter Y, PC-Dial will erase the existing file. The data will be downloaded into a new file. PC-Dial will not append the new data to the end of the existing data when using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. If you answer N, PC-Dial will notify you that the file is closed. The existing file will not be modified or deleted by PC-Dial. PC-Dial will also display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Received' file is now closed. If you are downloading data using ASCII transfer, you must manually close the file. To close the file, you press the (F2) key. Please refer to the section on (F2) - STOP RECEIVE for further information. If you are downloading data using either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, PC-Dial will automatically close the file when all data has been received. PC-Dial will notify you that all data has been received by ringing a bell. This enables to you get up and walk away from your computer while downloading a file. You do not need to monitor the transmission process when using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. You can abort the download process prior to completion by pressing the (F2) key. Please refer to the section on (F2) - STOP RECEIVE for further information. Page 32 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 33. 3.4.2 (F2) - STOP RECEIVE You can use the (F2) key to tell PC-Dial that you want to stop receiving or downloading data into a file. Pressing the (F2) key closes the file which is receiving data. The (F2) command acts differently depending on the transfer protocol you are using. When you are downloading a file using the ASCII protocol, (F2) will simply close the file. All data received into the file prior to pressing (F2) will remain. If you are receiving data using the ASCII protocol and press (F2), PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Received' file now closed. When downloading a file using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, (F2) will abort the downloading process. No data will be saved to the file. If you are receiving data using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol and press (F2), PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒ Canceled by receiver. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Received' file now closed. Do not press the (F2) key while downloading data using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol unless you want to abort the downloading process. 3.4.3 (F3) - TURN ECHO ON/OFF (F3) will cause PC-Dial to print your data to your display screen. Normally, the remote or host computer will echo the data you send back to your screen. However, sometimes the remote computer does not echo your data back to you. If the remote computer does not echo your data back to you, you will not be able to see the data you are typing. The default setting for echo in PC-Dial is off. If the remote computer is not echoing back your data, you can turn the echo on. To turn the echo on, press the (F3) key. (F3) is a toggle. You can toggle between echo on and echo off. Each time you press (F3), the status of echo changes. PC-Dial USING PC-DIAL Page 33 Page 34. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide will keep you informed of the status of the echo. PC-Dial will display one of the following messages each time you press (F3): ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Echo is now on ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Echo is now off If you see double characters, you have echo on, and the remote computer is also echoing the characters back to you. To stop the double characters, you will need to press (F3). 3.4.4 (F4) - SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS Different remote computers require different communications parameters. Some remote computers require you to communicate at 300 baud, others at 1200 baud. You may be downloading files using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol which require specific communications parameters. (F4) allows you to change or reset the communications parameters. You can change the communications port, the transmission speed, the type of parity, the number of data bits, or the number of stop bits to be used during communications. When you press (F4) to change the communications parameters, PC-Dial will display eight options which are listed below: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ SET COMM. PARAMETERS... ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 1 NO CHANGE ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 2 COM1:0300,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 3 COM1:0300,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 4 COM1:1200,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 5 COM1:1200,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 6 COM1:2400,S,7,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 7 COM1:2400,N,8,1,CS,DS ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 8 SPECIFY ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Your choice: For most communications with remote computers, one of the six pre-defined settings will be adequate. However, there are times when you may need to change one or more of the parameters. PC-Dial allows you to specify your own parameters. If you select option 8 to specify the communications parameters, PC-Dial will prompt you as follows: Page 34 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 35. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Which communications port? ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (1) COM1: (2) COM2: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Line speed (in bits per second) ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (1) 110 (4) 600 (7) 2400 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (2) 150 (5) 1200 (8) 4800 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (3) 300 (6) 1800 (9) 9600 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ What PARITY setting? ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (S) Space (M) Mark ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (O) Odd (E) Even ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ (N) None ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ How many data bits (5-8)? ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ How many stop bits (1-2)? After selecting one of the pre-defined settings, or providing your own settings, PC-Dial will display the new communications parameters. If you find you made a mistake, just press (F4) again to start over. PC-Dial will close the current communications port and then immediately reopen the chosen communications port using the new specifications. The communications parameters are stored in the following format: \port:speed,parity,data bits,stop bits,options The port is the communications port to which your modem is connected. This is usually COM1. You may specify COM2 by specifying your own settings. The speed refers to the transmit/receive bit rate in bits per second, or baud. Currently, the most common speeds are 300, 1200 and 2400 baud. The options for the other parameters will vary depending on the computer you are using and the requirements of the remote computer. Most remote computers can communicate using one of the six pre-defined communications settings. If you need to specify your own setting, or if you would like more information about each parameter, please refer to the BASIC manual you received with your PC. You want to refer to the section concerning the OPEN "COM statement. Note: If you transmit program or text files using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, you will need to set specific parameters. To transmit using either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, you must set data bits to 8. USING PC-DIAL Page 35 Page 36. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide The file PC-DIAL.PRO contains the following settings: \COM1:300,N,8,1,CS,DS You may edit PC-DIAL.PRO to include your desired communications settings if you wish. You can use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor or any other text editor to edit PC-DIAL.PRO. PC-Dial's Mini-Editor is explained in "Using The Mini-Editor". 3.4.5 (F5) - SET THE DELAY COUNTER PC-Dial has a delay function. The delay function can be used to slow down the speed of transmission when sending files or lines of text to the remote computer. (F5) allows you to specify a delay counter between characters or between lines of your transmit file. You can also slow down the speed of transmission using either the \DELAYC or \DELAYL commands. The \DELAYC and \DELAYL commands are explained in section 3.6. Sometimes the remote computer can't receive data as fast as you are sending it. Normally the difference in receiving and transmitting speed is handled automatically. The remote computer will send your computer an XOFF character. When your computer receives the XOFF character, your computer will stop transmitting data. When the remote computer is ready to receive data again, the remote computer will send your computer an XON character. When your computer receives the XON character, your computer will begin transmitting again. When the remote computer does not understand the XOFF and XON characters and cannot receive data as fast as your computer transmits data, the remote computer will lose some of your data. You can tell if this is happening by watching your screen display. If the remote computer does not echo back all of the characters you send, the remote computer is losing characters. When the remote computer loses characters, you need to slow down the speed of transmission. You may need to delay the transmission between characters or between lines, or both. You might need to experiment to find the optimum delay between characters and lines. The delay counter is entered in tenths of a second. Thus, a delay value of 10 is really a delay of one second. A delay value of 100 is really 10 seconds. When you press (F5), PC-Dial will ask whether you want to delay Page 36 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 37. between characters, lines or both. PC-Dial also displays the current character and line delay settings. This is what the screen looks like: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Character delay is now 0 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Line delay is now 0 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Change (C)Character or (L)Line delay or (B)Both? If you decide you do not want to specify either a character or line delay, just press (Enter). PC-Dial will cancel the (F5) - SET THE DELAY COUNTER command, and will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled If you answer C to change the character delay, PC-Dial will prompt you to enter the desired character delay: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ New value for Character delay: If you answer L to change the line delay, PC-Dial will prompt you to enter the desired line delay: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ New value for Line delay: If you answer B to change both the character delay and line delay, PC-Dial will prompt you to enter both delay settings: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ New value for Character delay: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ New value for Line delay: After entering the new value for the character or line delay, or both, PC-Dial will display the new settings. Here's what you will see: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Character delay is now 10 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Line delay is now 10 USING PC-DIAL Page 37 Page 38. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide You can change the character or line delays at any time by pressing (F5). 3.4.6 (F6) - CHANGE THE CURRENT SUBDIRECTORY The (F6) - CHANGE THE CURRENT SUBDIRECTORY command allows you to change to a different subdirectory. To use the (F6) command, you must be using DOS version 2.0 or later. The (F6) - CHANGE THE CURRENT SUBDIRECTORY command works exactly like the DOS CHDIR or CD command, and also like PC-Dial's \CHDIR command. The \CHDIR command is explained in Section 3.6. PC-Dial allows you to access files in different subdirectories. You can send a file which is located on a subdirectory other than the program or current subdirectory. You can also save a file to a subdirectory other than the program or current subdirectory. For many PC-Dial applications you may not need to physically change the current subdirectory. However, there are several instances where you would want to change the current logged subdirectory. You might want to change the logged subdirectory when saving a screen image to a disk file. The (Alt)S command allows you to save a snapshot image of your screen to the file SCREEN.SAV. SCREEN.SAV is written to the current subdirectory. If you want SCREEN.SAV saved to a subdirectory other than the current subdirectory, you can use the (F6) command prior to (Alt)S. When using the (F7) - SEND A FILE or (F9) - SEND A LINE commands to upload or transmit data, you can display a directory listing of the files on the current subdirectory. If you want to see a directory listing of files on a subdirectory other than the current subdirectory, you can use the (F6) command. When you press (F6), PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ CHDIR Complete the following command CHDIR You must complete the command by typing the name of the subdirectory to change to. You may change to any existing subdirectory. You must include the backslash, \, before the name Page 38 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 39. of the subdirectory. For example, if you want to change to the \DATA subdirectory, you would answer: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ CHDIR Complete the following command CHDIR \DATA PC-Dial will notify you whether or not the directory change was successful. If the directory change was successful, PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ CHDIR successful If the directory change was not successful, PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ CHDIR unsuccessful There are several reasons why PC-Dial would not be able to change the current subdirectory: you forgot to include the backslash, \ , before the name of the subdirectory; you typed the name of the subdirectory incorrectly; the subdirectory indicated does not exist. If you decide not to change the current subdirectory, just press (Enter). PC-Dial will cancel the command and display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ CHDIR Complete the following command CHDIR ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled USING PC-DIAL Page 39 Page 40. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 3.4.7 (F7) - SEND A FILE There are three methods of transferring data. The most basic, but least efficient, is to type the data directly from the keyboard. The (F7) - SEND A FILE command allows you to transfer or upload an entire file. You do not need to monitor the uploading process with (F7). PC-Dial will upload the entire file without stopping, when using the (F7) command. The third method, which will be discussed later in this section, is the (F9) - SEND A LINE command. The (F7) command can be used to upload text or program files to a remote computer. You can also use the (F7) command to transmit an automatic logon file to log you on to a remote computer. The (F7) command can also be used to send a file consisting entirely of imbedded commands. Imbedded commands cannot be entered from the keyboard, but must be uploaded or transmitted using the (F7) - SEND A FILE or (F9) - SEND A LINE commands. Imbedded commands are discussed in detail in "Imbedded Commands". To send an entire file, press (F7). After you press (F7), PC-Dial will show you a list of all files with the extension .LOG residing on the current drive and subdirectory. The listing is your dialing directory. All files ending with the extension .LOG are logon files. Logon files contain the required information to call a remote computer and supply the remote computer with the information needed to logon. The dialing directory also displays a number to the left of the .LOG file name. This number represents the file name. As you will see, you can enter the number instead of the entire .LOG file name. This number works like a pre-stored number in your telephone. Some telephones allow you to store a complete telephone number under one key of your telephone. After you have stored the telephone number, you just have to press the appropriate key on your telephone. Your telephone will dial the telephone number stored under that key. PC-Dial's dialing directory works the same way. Rather than having to type the file name, you just have to press the corresponding number. If the current drive and subdirectory do not contain any files ending with the extension .LOG, PC-Dial will display all of the files on the current drive and subdirectory. At the bottom of the dialing directory screen, PC-Dial will display the following prompt: Page 40 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 41. Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?': You have several options. You can cancel the transmit process. You can enter a question mark to display all files on the current drive and subdirectory. You can enter the dialing directory number corresponding to the file to be sent or transmitted. You can enter the file name of the file to be transmitted. First, you can cancel the transmit process before actually beginning to transmit. To cancel the transmit process, just press (Enter) at the prompt to enter the file number or file name. If you cancel the transmit process by pressing (Enter), PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Send' file is now closed. Second, you can enter a question mark, ?, to display all of the files on the current drive and subdirectory. Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':? If one or more files with the extension .LOG exist on the current drive and subdirectory, PC-Dial will only display those files. If you want to send a file with an extension other than .LOG and cannot remember the name of the file, enter a question mark to display all of the files. You can also include the drive designator after the question mark. You do not need to include a colon after the drive letter. This will enable you to get a directory listing of files on a drive other than the current one. That means you can look at directories on any disk drive in your system. Here's an example of what you should type to see the files you have on the disk in the B drive: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into:?B Third, you can enter the dialing directory number which USING PC-DIAL Page 41 Page 42. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide corresponds to the file to send. This shows what you would do to select the second file: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':2 If you enter the number of an automatic logon file, PC-Dial will not pause before transmitting the file, but will immediately begin transmitting. Files ending with the extension .LOG which are selected using the dialing directory number will be transmitted using the ASCII transfer protocol. Fourth, you can type the name of the file to send or transmit. You must type the entire file name, including the extension. The file does not have to reside on the current drive or subdirectory. You can send a file which resides on any drive or subdirectory. Here's how you would do that: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':C:\WP\LETTER After you have selected the file to send, you may be asked to select the transfer protocol. If your communications parameters are set to 8 data bits, PC-Dial will ask you which transfer protocol to use. The transfer protocol options are the same for (F7) as for the (F1) - RECEIVE A FILE and (F9) - SEND A LINE commands. You will see the following prompt: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Send using (A)ASCII, (X)X-Modem, or (C)X-Modem-CRC: If you will be sending a program file, you must use either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. It is recommended to use X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol when sending a long text file. For short text files, you can use either the ASCII, X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol. Do not use X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol to send a .LOG file to log you on to the remote computer. Before PC-Dial will begin sending data using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, PC-Dial must receive a ready signal from the remote computer. If you have not yet logged on to the remote computer, PC-Dial cannot receive the ready signal. If PC-Dial does not ask you to select the transfer protocol when typing the name of the logon file to send, your communications parameters are not set to 8 data bits. If you need to transmit a Page 42 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 43. program file or long text file, you will want to change your communications parameters before transmitting. You can switch from the (F7) mode of sending the entire file without stopping to the (F9) mode of sending one line at a time. You can switch from (F7) to (F9) at any time. To switch from (F7) to (F9) after the transmission process has started, simply press (F9). PC-Dial will stop transmitting the file automatically. The next line of the file to be transmitted will be displayed in the peek window. You will now control when each line of the file will be sent. To send the line of text displayed in the peek window, just press the (F9) key. For more information about sending one line at a time, please see the sections on (F8) and (F9). When PC-Dial is finished transmitting the file, PC-Dial will close the file. If you transmit the file using either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, PC-Dial will sound a bell when the file is finished transmitting. This enables you to get up and walk away from your computer while a file is being transmitted. You do not need to monitor the transmission process. If you need to abort the transmission process before the entire file has been sent, press (F10). The (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE command allows you to abort the transmit or upload process. Please see the section on the (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE command for further information. 3.4.8 (F8) - TURN THE PEEK WINDOW ON/OFF PC-Dial has a "peek" window. The peek window displays the current system time and the elapsed time. The peek window will also display one line of text of a file being uploaded using the (F9) - SEND A LINE command. You can turn on the peek window by pressing (F8). (F8) performs the same function as the \PEEK command, which is described in the section about (F8). PC-Dial normally displays the Function Key command summary line on the bottom of your screen. You can suppress the Function Key command summary line in order to display the peek window. To display the peek window, press (F8). Each time you press (F8), the bottom line of your display will switch between the Function Key command line summary and the peek window. PC-Dial will not display a message when you press (F8). It is useful to turn the peek window on when transmitting a file using the (F9) - SEND A LINE command. When the peek window is USING PC-DIAL Page 43 Page 44. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide on, you will be able to see the line or record which will be transmitted next. You can think of the peek window as your "batter's box" or preview window. The peek window allows you to preview data before actually transmitting the data. Previewing the data gives you more flexibility when transmitting a file. You can omit certain lines, you can resend a line, and even override a line by typing information from the keyboard. These options are explained in the next section. 3.4.9 (F9) - SEND A LINE There are three methods of transferring data. The most basic, but least efficient, is to type the data directly from the keyboard. The (F7) - SEND A FILE command allows you to transfer or upload an entire file without stopping. The third method is the (F9) - SEND A LINE command. The (F9) command can be used to upload text files to a remote computer. You can also use (F9) to transmit a logon file to log you on to a remote computer. If your logon file is defined to answer the questions automatically, you will want to use the (F7) - SEND A FILE command. You should use the (F7) command to upload program files or long text files. The (F9) command can also be used to send a file containing only imbedded commands. Imbedded commands cannot be entered from the keyboard, but must be uploaded or transmitted using (F7) or (F9). Imbedded commands are discussed in detail in Section 3.6. The (F9) command sends one line of the file at a time; and requires you to monitor the sending process. You control the lines which are transmitted. You also control the interval between lines. You must press the (F9) key each time you want to send a line. To start the (F9) command, press the (F9) key. PC-Dial will show you a list of all files with the extension .LOG residing on the current drive and subdirectory. The listing is your dialing directory. All files ending with the extension .LOG are logon files. Logon files contain the required information to call a remote computer and supply the remote computer with the information needed to logon. The dialing directory also displays a number to the left of the .LOG file name. This number represents the file name. As you will see, you can enter the number instead of the entire .LOG file name. This number works like a pre-stored number in your telephone. Some telephones allow you to store a complete Page 44 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 45. telephone number under one key of your telephone. After you have stored the telephone number, you just have to press the appropriate key on your telephone. Your telephone will dial the telephone number stored under that key. PC-Dial's dialing directory works the same way. Rather than having to type the file name, you just have to press the corresponding number. If the current drive and subdirectory do not contain any files ending with the extension .LOG, PC-Dial will display all of the files on the current drive and subdirectory. At the bottom of the dialing directory screen, PC-Dial will display the following prompt: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?': You have several options. You can cancel the transmit process. You can enter a question mark to display all files on the current drive and subdirectory. You can enter the dialing directory number corresponding to the file to be sent or transmitted. You can enter the file name of the file to be transmitted. First, you can cancel the transmit process before actually beginning to transmit. To cancel the transmit process, just press (Enter) at the prompt to enter the file number or file name. If you cancel the transmit process by pressing (Enter), PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Send' file is now closed. Second, you can enter a question mark, ?, to display all of the files on the current drive and subdirectory. Here's how that would look: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':? If one or more files with the extension .LOG exist on the current drive and subdirectory, PC-Dial will only display those files. If you want to send a file with an extension other than .LOG and cannot remember the name of the file, enter a question mark to USING PC-DIAL Page 45 Page 46. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide display all of the files. You can also include the drive designator after the question mark. You do not need to include a colon after the drive letter. This will enable you to get a directory listing of files on a drive other than the current one. That means you can look at directories on any disk drive in your system. Here's an example of what you should type to see the files you have on the disk in the B drive: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ filename to receive into:?B Third, you can enter the dialing directory number which corresponds to the the file to send. This example shows how you would select the second file: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':2 Fourth, you can type the name of the file to send or transmit. You must type the entire file name, including the extension. The file does not have to reside on the current drive or subdirectory. You can send a file which resides on any drive or subdirectory. Here's an example: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':C:\WP\LETTER After you have selected the file to send, you may be asked to select the transfer protocol. If your communications parameters are set to 8 data bits, PC-Dial will ask you which transfer protocol to use. The transfer protocol options are the same for (F9) as for the (F1) and (F7) commands. You will see the following prompt: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Send using (A)ASCII, (X)X-Modem, or (C)X-Modem-CRC: The (F9) command will transmit data using the ASCII transfer protocol only. If you select either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, PC-Dial will send the entire file, rather than line by line. If you select either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, Page 46 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 47. PC-Dial will proceed with the transmit process as if you were using the (F7) command. Please refer to the (F7) command for information about using X-Modem and X-Modem-CRC protocol. If PC-Dial does not ask you to select the transfer protocol when typing the name of the logon file to send, your communications parameters are not set to 8 data bits. PC-Dial will automatically transfer the data using the ASCII protocol. After selecting the file to send and the transfer protocol, PC-Dial is ready to begin transmitting data. PC-Dial will display the following message when ready to send data: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Ready to send lines from file:filespec.ext Note: "filespec.ext" is the name of the file you want to transmit. PC-Dial will not begin transmitting data until you press the (F9) key again. Each time you press the (F9) key, PC-Dial will send the next line of the file. You have complete control over the transmission. You control the pace of the transmission. You can wait to press (F9) until the remote computer is ready to receive the data. You can include imbedded commands in your transmit file. Imbedded commands are discussed in section titled "Imbedded commands". PC-Dial will act on such commands immediately. These commands will not be sent out over the phone line. Instead, you will see a remarks line on your display indicating each command is being processed. For example, if you included the \BELL command in your transmit file, PC-Dial would not send \BELL to the remote computer. Because PC-Dial recognizes \BELL as a command, PC-Dial will process the command and ring a bell. When using (F9) you should turn on the peek window. The peek window can be turned on either by pressing (F8) or including the \PEEK ON command as the first line of your transmit file. For more information, please refer to sections on the (F8) command and the \PEEK command. When the peek window is on, you will be able to preview the data before sending the data to the remote computer. You can do several things with the line in the peek window. USING PC-DIAL Page 47 Page 48. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide First, you can transmit the line. To transmit the line in the peek window, simply press (F9). Each time you press (F9), the line in the peek window will be transmitted. If the line contains a PC-Dial imbedded command, the command will be processed. Otherwise, PC-Dial will send the line of text over the phone line. Second, you can ignore the data in the peek window, and type information directly from the keyboard. The (F9) command allows you to freely intermix data which is stored in the transmit file with data entered from the keyboard while transmitting. Third, you can skip past the line in the peek window. To skip past the line in the peek window, simply press the down arrow key. The down arrow key is the number 2 key on the numeric keypad. You can skip past as many lines of the file as you wish. Fourth, you can search for a specific string or character sequence. **** This information omitted from your evaluation copy **** Page 48 USING PC-DIAL Page 50. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide (Page 49 deleted) If you continue transmitting until the end of the file, PC-Dial will display the following message in the peek window: \END OF FILE PC-Dial will automatically close the transmit file when the end of file is reached. PC-Dial will also close the file if you abort the transmission process early using the (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE command. 3.4.10 (F10) - STOP SENDING A FILE The (F10) key is used to stop sending a file. You can use the (F10) key to stop transmitting data whether you are using the (F7) - SEND A FILE command or the (F9) - SEND A LINE command. When you press (F10), PC-Dial will close the transmit file. PC-Dial will not send any more data from the transmit file after you have pressed (F10). If you are sending data using the (F7) command, it may take a few seconds for PC-Dial to empty its communications buffers. You may see that some data is still being transmitted after you have pressed (F10). When PC-Dial has emptied its communications buffers, you will see that no more data is being transmitted. If you are transmitting data using the ASCII transfer protocol, PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Send' file now closed. If you are transmitting data using either X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocol, the following message will be displayed: ▒ Canceled by transmitter ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 'Send' file now closed. Page 50 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 51. 3.5 ALT KEY COMMANDS PC-Dial has nine (Alt) key commands. You can enter the (Alt) key commands directly from the keyboard. You can also imbed the code for a particular (Alt) key command directly into a .LOG file, transmit file or in a Smart Key. 3.5.1 (ALT)B - SEND A BREAK CHARACTER The (Alt)B key combination allows you to send a BREAK character to the remote computer. Some bulletin board systems and remote computers require you to send a BREAK character when the connection is first made. (Alt)B allows you to send the BREAK character. Most systems do not require a BREAK character. To send a BREAK character, hold down the (Alt) key and press B. You can include the BREAK character in a .LOG file, transmit file, and a Smart Key. The code for the BREAK character in a .LOG file, transmit file, or Smart Key is [304]. 3.5.2 (ALT)D - USING DOS FROM WITHIN PC-DIAL PC-Dial, version 2.0 allows you to execute DOS commands from within PC-Dial. You do not have to exit PC-Dial in order to execute DOS commands. There is virtually no limit to the type of command you can execute. You can execute a DOS command such as DIR, COPY, or DEL. You can call another program, such as PC-File/R, PC-Type, etc. You can also call batch files from within PC-Dial. To use DOS from within PC-Dial, hold down the (Alt) key and press D. You will see the following prompt: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter your DOS command: Enter the desired DOS command or program name. You can execute a DOS command on any drive or subdirectory. For example, if you are logged onto drive C, you can ask for a directory listing of drive A. To do a directory of the disk in drive A, you would answer the prompt: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter your DOS command:DIR A: (press Enter) USING PC-DIAL Page 51 Page 52. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide You can copy files from drive C to A, and so forth. You can run a batch file or call another program. The following example shows how to call PC-File/R from within PC-Dial. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Enter your DOS command:PCFILE If you call a batch file or program from (Alt)D, the batch file or program file must either reside on the default drive and subdirectory or the PC-Dial program disk, or you must have defined the proper path for the batch file or program file. If the specified file or program file cannot be found, you will receive the DOS error message BAD COMMAND OR FILENAME and will be returned to PC-Dial. Do not change the logged drive using (Alt)D. You must stay logged onto the PC-Dial program drive. For example, if you are running PC-Dial from drive C, you cannot log onto drive A using (Alt)D. You can access files on the disk in drive A or execute DOS commands on the disk in drive A, but you cannot change the logged drive to drive A. If you decide you do not want to execute a DOS command, just press (Enter). PC-Dial will cancel the call to DOS command. If you cancel the call to DOS, PC-Dial will display the following message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Canceled When you call DOS using the (Alt)D combination, a second copy of the file COMMAND.COM is loaded into memory. The file COMMAND.COM must reside on the default or program disk. If COMMAND.COM cannot be found, you will receive a FILE NOT FOUND error message. Remember that you must have enough available RAM memory to load a second copy of COMMAND.COM and to run the other program being called. The results of (Alt)D will be unpredictable if you do not have enough available memory. You can use the DOS command CHKDSK to verify the amount of memory available. The (Alt)D command performs the same function as the \DOS command which you will read about in the next section. The (Alt)D command is more accessible than the \DOS command. (Alt)D can be Page 52 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 53. called at any time. The \DOS command can only be called from within a transmit file. There is another difference between the (Alt)D and \DOS commands. The (Alt)D command assumes you are at the keyboard, while \DOS does not. You will be asked to press (Enter) after issuing a DOS command or running a program before returning to PC-Dial when using the (Alt)D command. When using the \DOS command, PC-Dial will continue processing the rest of the transmit file after completion of the DOS command. PC-Dial will not pause before returning control from the DOS level back to PC-Dial when the \DOS command is invoked. You can use the (Alt)D command within a .LOG file, transmit file and in a Smart Key. The code for (Alt)D within a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [288]. 3.5.3 (ALT)E - EDIT A FILE WITH THE MINI-EDITOR PC-Dial, version 2.0 has a built-in Mini-Editor. This Mini-Editor can be called up at any time. You do not have to leave PC-Dial to access the Mini-Editor. Those of you who are familiar with ButtonWare's PC-File/R and PC-Type will recognize the Mini-Editor in PC-Dial. PC-Dial's Mini-Editor is the same as the editor in PC-File/R, and is a subset of PC-Type. The Mini-Editor can be used for a variety of functions. You can use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor to create a .LOG file. You can use the Mini-Editor to create a transmit file. You can use the Mini-Editor to write notes about a message on a bulletin board system, if you do not want to download the entire file. The Mini-Editor also allows you to create a message while you are connected to Button-Net, MCI Mail, Compuserve or other bulletin board systems. If someone has left you a message, you can use the Mini-Editor to write your reply. You do not have to leave PC-Dial, nor do you have to break the connection. Not only does the Mini-Editor save you time, it also saves you money. You don't have to hang up, write your message then call back to leave your message. You can do it all from within PC-Dial using the Mini-Editor. To call up the Mini-Editor, hold down the (Alt) key and press E. You will be asked for the file specification of the file to edit. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ USING PC-DIAL Page 53 Page 54. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ File spec. to edit: You can enter a new file name or an existing file name. You can edit a file on the current drive or on a different drive or different subdirectory. For example, if you want to edit the file called REPLY.LTR which is on drive C in the \WP subdirectory, you would answer the prompt as follows: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ File spec. to edit:C:\WP\REPLY.LTR (press Enter) After pressing (Enter), the Mini-Editor will be loaded. The designated file will be loaded into the Mini-Editor. You can now edit the file with the Mini-Editor. The Mini-Editor requires at least 220K available RAM memory. If you do not have at least 220K available RAM memory when you use (Alt)E, the results may be unpredictable. As long as you have more than 164K - and DO NOT use the Mini-Editor - you won't have any problems. You can use the (Alt)E command within a .LOG file, transmit file and in a Smart Key. The code for (Alt)E within a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [274]. The Mini-Editor will be explained in detail in "Using The Mini-Editor". 3.5.4 (ALT)H - CALLING UP THE HELP SCREEN On-screen help is available in PC-Dial. The help screen is a summary of the function keys and (Alt) key commands. Smart Keys, if defined, will also be displayed on the help screen. To view the help screen, hold down the (Alt) key and press H. Figure #6 shows what the help screen looks like. Page 54 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 55. Figure #6 - The Help Screen for PC-Dial _____________________________________________________________________ (F1) Receive (download) a file (F2) Stop download (F3) Toggle ECHO on/off (F4) Change communication parameters (F5) Throttle speed of uploading (F6) CHDIR - change directories (F7) Send (upload) a whole file (F8) Turn the PEEK window on/off (F9) Send (upload) one line (F10) Stop upload (Alt)D Do a DOS command (Alt)E EDIT a file (Alt)P Turn PRINTer on/off (Alt)R Resend prior record (Alt)S Save Snapshot of Screen (Alt)T Timer reset (Alt)Q QUIT and return to DOS _____________________________________________________________________ This is what PC-Dial's help screen looks like. Had any Smart Keys been defined, they would have been displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can look at this help screen any time you want by pressing (Alt)H. _____________________________________________________________________ After the help screen is displayed, PC-Dial will turn control of the program back to you. You do not need to press a key to return to PC-Dial after viewing the help screen. You can use the (Alt)H command within a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key. The code for (Alt)E within a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [291]. 3.5.5 (ALT)P - TOGGLE THE PRINTER ON OR OFF PC-Dial allows you to toggle your printer on and off. When the printer is toggled on, everything that is displayed on your screen will also be sent to the printer. This enables you to obtain a complete printed record of your communications sessions. A word of caution: We recommend not going to the printer. Save whatever you are downloading in a file. That way you can edit the file later, before printing. The problem here is that the buffer in your printer won't be able to keep up with the speed at which information is coming into your computer. That means your printer won't get (i.e., print) all of what you want to receive. To toggle the printer on or off, hold down the (Alt) key and press P. USING PC-DIAL Page 55 Page 56. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide The default setting is OFF. When you first start PC-Dial, information will not be echoed to your printer. You may press (Alt)P to turn on the printer at any time. When you want to turn off the printer, press (Alt)P again. This is how a toggle works. You press the key combination once to turn on the feature, press the key combination again to turn off the feature, press the key combination again to turn on the feature, etc. A toggle alternates between the two settings, ON and OFF. There is no limit to the number of times you can toggle or turn on the printer during one session. When you press (Alt)P to turn the printer on, PC-Dial will display this message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Printer is now ON Pressing (Alt)P again will turn the printer off. PC-Dial will display this message: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Printer is now OFF Thus, PC-Dial will keep you informed of the current status of the printer toggle each time you press (Alt)P. You can use the (Alt)P command within a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key. The code for (Alt)E within a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [281]. 3.5.6 (ALT)Q - QUIT PC-DIAL The (Alt)Q key command is used to quit your current PC-Dial session. When you quit PC-Dial, all disk files will be closed. If you are connected to a remote computer when you quit PC-Dial, the connection will not be canceled. Please refer to your modem manual for instructions on canceling the connection. When you quit PC-Dial, control will be returned to the operating system. To quit PC-Dial, hold down the (Alt) key and press Q. After pressing (Alt)Q, PC-Dial will ask you to verify that you want to quit. This allows you to resume your communications session if you accidentally pressed (Alt)Q. The message will look like: Page 56 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 57. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Do you want to quit? (Y or N): If you do want to quit PC-Dial, press Y. After pressing Y, PC-Dial will stop running and control will be turned over to DOS. If you decide not to quit your PC-Dial session, press N. PC-Dial will resume where you left off. You can imbed the (Alt)Q command in a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key to quit PC-Dial. The code for (Alt)Q within a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [272]. 3.5.7 (ALT)R - RETRANSMIT THE PREVIOUS LINE The (Alt)R combination allows you to retransmit, or resend the previous line. (Alt)R is active only when sending information using (F9) - SEND A LINE. You cannot use (Alt)R to retransmit imbedded commands. Also, (Alt)R will not function when transmitting information using (F7) - SEND A FILE. (Alt)R will not retransmit information which is entered directly from the keyboard. To retransmit a line when using (F9), hold down the (Alt) key and press R. You can imbed the (Alt)R command into a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key. The code for (Alt)R in a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [275]. 3.5.8 (ALT)S - SNAPSHOT IMAGE TO DISK The (Alt)S key combination will save the information on the screen to a disk file. The information will be saved to a file called SCREEN.SAV. PC-Dial will save the SCREEN.SAV file to the current subdirectory. If the file SCREEN.SAV already exists, the new information will be appended to the end of the existing file. The existing information in SCREEN.SAV will not be deleted. (Alt)S will only save the information which currently is displayed on your screen. Information that is displayed prior to or after pressing (Alt)S will not be saved. To save an image of your screen to a disk file, hold down the (Alt) key and press S. After pressing (Alt)S, PC-Dial will USING PC-DIAL Page 57 Page 58. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide display the following message indicating a snapshot image is being saved: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Snapshot... You will notice some disk activity. Your computer is writing to the current disk. When PC-Dial is finished saving the screen image, you will be notified. PC-Dial will append the previous message to: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Snapshot... placed in 'SCREEN.SAV' The file SCREEN.SAV can be edited at a later time with PC-Dial's Mini-Editor or any other text editor. The file SCREEN.SAV can be printed using another text editor or the DOS PRINT command. Note: Older versions of PC-Dial used a different command for a monochrome monitor than for a color monitor. PC-Dial, version 2.0 has combined these two commands into one. PC-Dial will now determine the type of monitor you are using and act accordingly. You can imbed the (Alt)S command into a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key. The code for (Alt)S in a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [287]. 3.5.9 (ALT)T - RESET THE TIMER One nice feature of PC-Dial is the timer. The timer lets you keep an eye on the length of your communications session. The timer displays the current system time and the elapsed time. The current system time is read from your computer. When you start PC-Dial, the elapsed time is set to 000.0. The elasped timer begins when PC-Dial is loaded. PC-Dial's timer is located in the lower right hand corner of your screen. The peek window must be on to view the timer. Elapsed time is displayed in minutes and tenths of a minute. You will notice that the decimal place of the elapsed timer changes every six seconds. The timer will look like: 11:30 015.0 Page 58 USING PC-DIAL PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 59. The above lines indicates that it is 11:30, and the elapsed time of the connection is 15 minutes. You can reset the timer at any time. The peek window does not need to be on to reset the timer. To reset the timer, hold down the (Alt) key and press T. The system time will not change. The elapsed time will be reset to 000.0. When you reset the timer, PC-Dial will display a message notifying you that the elapsed timer has been reset to 0.0. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Elapsed Timer reset to 0.0 Anyone familiar with communications knows how easy it is to let time slip away. Before you know it, you've spent an hour talking to a computer across country. If you seem to lose track of time while talking to remote computers, you might want to include the (Alt)T command in your logon files. Each time you call a new number, the elapsed timer will be reset to 0.0. You can include the (Alt)T command to reset your elapsed timer in a .LOG file, transmit file or Smart Key. The code for (Alt)T in a .LOG file or transmit file is \KEYIN [276]. 3.6 IMBEDDED COMMANDS The third category of commands is imbedded commands. Just as the name implies, imbedded commands must be imbedded or included in a file. Imbedded commands can be included in logon files, in PC-DIAL.PRO or any other text file. Imbedded commands cannot be entered directly from the keyboard. Imbedded commands are accessed by several methods. PC-DIAL.PRO can contain imbedded commands. In fact, the PC-DIAL.PRO file distributed by ButtonWare includes several imbedded commands. Each time you start PC-Dial, PC-DIAL.PRO is automatically loaded, and the imbedded commands automatically processed. If there are certain imbedded commands you use each time you load PC-Dial, you will want to include these commands in PC-DIAL.PRO. You can include another file name on the DOS command line when you start PC-Dial. PC-Dial will automatically process the file included on the DOS command line. If the file contains any imbedded commands, the imbedded commands will be processed automatically. USING PC-DIAL Page 59 Page 60. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide You can also use the (F7) - SEND A FILE or (F9) - SEND A LINE commands to transmit a file containing imbedded commands. You may transmit a file containing only imbedded commands. If the file contains only imbedded commands, you do not need to be connected to the remote computer. You can also include imbedded commands in logon files and text files which are transmitted to the remote computer. PC-Dial intercepts all imbedded commands when transmitting a file. PC-Dial will act immediately on these imbedded commands. All other information in the file being transmitted will be sent to the modem and over the phone line. All imbedded commands must be entered in UPPER CASE preceeded by a back slash. Commands which are not entered entirely in upper case will be treated as data and sent out over the phone lines. Remember that commands must be on a separate line and start at position one. **** This information omitted from your evaluation copy **** Page 60 USING PC-DIAL (Page 61 - 82 omitted) 4.0 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS 4.1 USING THE AUTOMATIC FEATURES Having just read the previous chapter you should now have a pretty good feel for how to use PC-Dial. So far in this manual you have learned how to do things "one by one." In other words, you either enter a command or type something in at the keyboard to accomplish a task. If you never learned any more about PC-Dial, you could use the program right now to meet most of your communications needs. However, to make the best use of the program, you should take advantage of the advanced features. PC-Dial has the ability to do a lot of things for you automatically all with little or no help from you. The profile file can: set the communications parameters; change screen colors; define your Smart Keys; or do more. You can use .LOG files to automatically logon to the Source or any bulletin board - a local one or one like ButtonWare offers. The .LOG file can also be used to perform functions while you are connected with another computer. You can check your mail box, download files, or even read the latest bulletins. You can set up Smart Keys (i.e., macros) to do several tasks with a single key stroke. Smart Keys can automate a series of functions that you perform on a regular basis. Things such as sending a message to a group of people or sending a number of files to the remote computer can be done with Smart Keys. PRO, .LOG, AND SMART KEYS - THE KEYS TO A.I. The combination of the PC-DIAL.PRO file, .LOG files and Smart Keys serve to create PC-Dial's own version of artificial intelligence (A.I.). PC-Dial has the ability to accomplish a number of tasks with little or no input from you. By using the automatic features in PC-Dial you can get the program to operate in about the same way you would think. You can configure PC-Dial to dial up and connect with any remote computer system. After you have set up your files you can always change them if anything changes. It is just as important for two computers to be speaking in the same dialect as it is for two people. In order to communicate properly you must know which dialect or protocol the other computer is going to speak in. Your computer needs to be set up .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 83 Page 84. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide correctly before you connect with the remote system. To do this you need to create a PC-DIAL.PRO file that will set up your computer with the correct settings. You should also make a .LOG file to call the remote computer. 4.2 PROFILE FILES Whenever PC-Dial is started, it looks on the default drive for a file called PC-DIAL.PRO. The file contains all of the information needed to set up the environment that you want to communicate in. We've provided a "default" profile for you so that you can get started right away. However, if you wish to change the file to suit your own operating conditions, you should do so. You might include the speed that you are going to communicate at, the screen colors, and any filters that you might want to have. You can even have PC-Dial start a specific .LOG file each time the program starts. Take a look at the sample PC-DIAL.PRO file in Figure #7. FIGURE #7 - This is a sample PC-DIAL.PRO file. ______________________________________________________________________ \REM SETTING UP COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS \COM1:0300,E,7,1,CS,DS \COLOR 7,1 \REM TURN ON WINDOW AND SET FILTERS \PEEK ON \FILTER 012,013,010,000 \REM TRANSFER TO BUTTON7.LOG \TOFILE BUTTON7.LOG ______________________________________________________________________ This will give you an idea of what a PC-DIAL.PRO file does and what you can accomplish with it. ______________________________________________________________________ As you can see in the second line of Figure #7, we are going to use communications port 1 at 300 baud, even parity, seven data bits and 1 stop bit. In line 3 we set the screen to print white letters on a blue background. Line 5 turns on the peek window, the same as hitting (F8), and line 6 sets the filter to weed out any formfeed characters (ASCII 012) and replace them with a carriage return (ASCII 013). This line will also catch any linefeeds (ASCII 010) but will not replace them with anything. Page 84 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 85. The last line starts the file called BUTTON7.LOG. With this PC-DIAL.PRO file, each time PC-Dial is started it will set up the communications environment and then transfer to the BUTTON7.LOG file shown below. 4.2.1 CREATING A .PRO FILE In order to create a profile file, you must first decide what information you need to include. It is best to write down on paper the things that you would like to have in your file. Key items to think about are the communications parameters, filter settings, and Smart Keys. It is best to write each item on a single line in a step by step order. Once you have decided what you want in the PC-DIAL.PRO file you can use the PC-Dial Mini-Editor to create the file. To begin editing the file hold the (Alt) key down and press the E key. When prompted, enter the name of the file as PC-DIAL.PRO. If the file is given any other name it will not be recognized as the profile file when PC-Dial is started. When you are entering the lines be sure that ALL commands for PC-Dial are preceded with a backslash (\) and that all lines begin in column one. 4.3 .LOG FILES The .LOG file in Figure #8 will initiate a call to the Button-Net bulletin board and automatically go through the logon steps. .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 85 Page 86. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide FIGURE #8 - The BUTTON7.LOG file to logon to Button-Net. ______________________________________________________________________ *** Omitted from your evaluation copy *** ______________________________________________________________________ Using this file you will be able to logon to ButtonWare's electronic bulletin board, which is called Button-Net. The comments down the right hand side of the page are just for purposes of explanation. You can use such "notes" in your own files by prefacing each comment (on each line) with a semicolon. Only lines with commands can have comments. ______________________________________________________________________ Notice that all of the commands for PC-Dial start with a backslash (\). Any other commands, either for the modem or text to be sent to the remote computer are just entered as plain text. PC-Dial will let you enter comments in your .LOG file. You should place your comments to the right of the commands, prefaced by a semicolon. You are not allowed to enter a comment on a line by itself. Comments can only be on lines where they follow a command or other information that is being used by PC-Dial. Remember that you must put a semicolon in front of each comment. Page 86 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 87. You can build a file for each remote computer system that you call regularly. You might create a file for the Source called "SOURCE.LOG", another for Compuserve "COMPUSER.LOG", or one for MCI Mail named "MCIMAIL.LOG". The BUTTON7.LOG file above is designed to be used to call the Button-Net bulletin board. It can be used with the \TOFILE command in the PC-DIAL.PRO file or with the (F7) key. You should not use the BUTTON7.LOG file with the (F9) key because it will not function correctly. Use the file, BUTTON9.LOG with the (F9) key to call Button-Net. Another example of a .LOG file is the OAG.LOG file. This .LOG file, which is on your PC-Dial program disk, allows you to access the Official Airlines Guide via TELENET. *** Omitted from your evaluation copy *** Note: The "xxx-xxxx" you see in the above example should be replaced with your local TELENET number. After starting PC-Dial, you can push (F9) (send line) to send a .LOG file one line at a time. You can also use (F7) (send file) to send the file without pausing before each line. When you press either (F7) or (F9) PC-Dial will show you a list of your automatic logon files (all files with a suffix of "LOG") and will ask you to "Enter the file number or any file name:". You can enter the number next to the file or you can enter the name of one of the automatic logon files. You could enter the name of any other file, even if it does not have the .LOG extension. It is also possible to enter the name of a .LOG file on the command line when you start PC-Dial. Entering PC-DIAL MCI.LOG at the A> prompt will start PC-Dial and then process the commands in the MCIMAIL.LOG file with no input from you. Starting the program in this manner is similar to using the (F7) key from within PC-Dial. If you use (F7), PC-Dial will go through the file and logon to the remote computer without any input from you. When you press .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 87 Page 88. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide (F9) and enter the file number or name, PC-Dial will open the file and get ready to send your file. Each time you press (F9) PC-Dial will send one line from the file out through the modem. *** Omitted from your evaluation copy *** You may be shown a series of screens before the remote computer will ask you to logon. When you are asked for the first name you can hit the (F9) key to send the line in the peek window, your first name. Do the same for the last name and city/state. Some computers will now ask you to confirm the information you just entered. If the information is correct, press (F9) key to respond with a "Y". You will then be asked for your password and phone number. Again use the (F9) key to send the information in the peek window. Page 88 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 89. FIGURE #9 - This sample logon file shows how to have a number redialed until a connection is made. ______________________________________________________________________ *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** ______________________________________________________________________ You would use this logon file to call the Button-Net bulletin board, which might have a busy number. This logon file (actually the third line) would keep dialing the number until "CONNECT." ______________________________________________________________________ By taking advantage of PC-Dial's .LOG file feature you don't have to remember anything in order to logon to a remote computer. All that you have to do is press (F9) each time input is needed. Because the .LOG file was built with the proper answers, everything else happens automatically. You can easily intermix data from the keyboard with the use of the (F9) key. (An example of this is when you're working with a logon file). Thus, if something were different in the logon sequence, such as the remote computer saying "We are taking a survey today, please answer a question...", you could type some input from the keyboard which would be sent over the line. Later you could go back to using (F9) to complete your logon sequence, or you could continue to do it manually from the keyboard. You can also use the down arrow key on the numeric keypad to bypass or ignore a line in a .LOG file. 4.3.1 CREATING A .LOG FILE Before attempting to create a .LOG file for a remote computer it is a good idea to call the computer manually, doing things "step by step". Keep track of every question it asks and each answer you supply. The easiest way to do this is to place the call to the remote computer. As soon as the computers connect and the modem is silent hold the (Alt) key down and press the P key. This will cause all of the information that appears on your screen to be sent to the printer. Once you have gone through the .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 89 Page 90. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide complete logon procedure and have it on paper you can logoff the remote computer and start creating your .LOG file. Start the PC-Dial Mini-Editor by typing the (Alt)E keys. At the prompt enter the name of the .LOG file you want to create. Be sure to give the file the extension .LOG if you want it to appear when you press the (F7) or (F9) keys. All of the commands for PC-Dial must be preceded with a backslash (\). Both commands and lines of text to be sent to the remote computer must start in column one. You can include comments on the lines that have commands on them. Remember that any comment must be preceded with a semicolon (;) and can only be on a line containing a command. 4.4 SMART KEYS Smart Keys can be used to perform tasks that you do again and again. You might set up a Smart Key to automatically read all of your messages on a remote computer and then delete the read messages. You could set up a Smart Key to look at a series of stocks on the Source or edit a .LOG file you are setting up. You can put Smart Keys in the PC-DIAL.PRO file or a .LOG file. There are twelve keys that can be set up for use as Smart Keys. They are the number keys along the top of the keyboard, plus the "-" and "=" keys. To use a Smart Key you would hold down the (Alt) key and press the Smart Key (number key) that you want to use. Before you can use a Smart Key it must be set up in either the PC-DIAL.PRO file or in a .LOG file. To set up a Smart Key you must put the command \SMART(n) in the PC-DIAL.PRO file or in a .LOG file where the (n) is the key that you want to set up. A Smart Key can contain both commands and data. Before you set up your Smart Key it is best to go through all of the steps that you want in the Smart Key and write them down on a piece of paper. There are keys on the keyboard that you might want to enter into your Smart Key that cannot be entered as data such as the (Enter) key or the Function Keys. To use these keys you must enter the ASCII equivalent into your Smart Key. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** Page 90 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 91. Figure #10 lists the ASCII decimal code for the keys or commands you might want to include in a .PRO or .LOG file. Just look at all of this as another way to save keystrokes. FIGURE #10 - The ASCII decimal codes for PC-Dial keys or commands. ______________________________________________________________________ *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** ______________________________________________________________________ This figure lists the ASCII decimal codes of the items you see listed. Use these codes in both your .PRO and .LOG files. You can combine several keystrokes and commands in such files. ______________________________________________________________________ You can also have a Smart Key run another Smart Key by imbedding a carat (^) and the Smart Key that you want to execute. For example, if Smart Key 4 had ^5 at the end of the string, Smart Key 5 would start processing as soon as number 4 had finished. In order to have a Smart Key pause and wait for input you would need to insert a carat K (^K) in your Smart Key. This will cause the Smart Key to stop processing and get input from you. After you type in the information and press (Enter) the Smart Key will continue processing. An additional feature of Smart Keys is the ability you have to "slow things down" as much as you want. Using this delay feature you can have keystrokes entered at whatever pace you choose. You can enter a delay anywhere within a Smart Key (or imbedded command) by entering a command like this: *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** What you see listed above would cause two tenths of a second delay between each keystroke that followed. The number you place after the letter "D" equals tenths of seconds. To get five tenths of a second delay you would put the number five in place .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 91 Page 92. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide of the two. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** Slowing down keyboard entry comes in handy when you want to create pauses in what is automatically being entered for you by any Smart Key. An example of this is making a Hayes modem hang up. To disconnect with a Hayes modem you need to type "+++", followed by a carriage return. Then you need to type in "ATH", followed by another carriage return. If you created this Smart Key "+++ATH[13]" things would happen too quickly. By entering the following Smart Key you would cause the Hayes modem to successfully hang up: *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** 4.4.1 CREATING SMART KEYS Anything you find yourself typing over and over again can easily be transformed into a Smart Key. There are many benefits of using Smart Keys, like reducing repetition, saving time, and cutting back on keyboard entry errors. It's easy to set up or change a Smart Key. Here's what you need to do to set up a Smart Key: Call up PC-Dial's Mini-Editor. You do this by holding down the (Alt) key and pressing the E. When it asks you for a file name, enter this: PC-DIAL.PRO You will now be using the Mini-Editor to modify PC-DIAL.PRO. Figure #11 shows what the .PRO file from Figure #7 looks like with two Smart Keys added. You can have up to twelve Smart Keys defined at any given time. Your next step would be to enter the text or commands that you Page 92 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 93. want to have saved under each Smart Key. When you are through defining Smart Keys, just press (F9) to save the modified .PRO file. It's important to note that in most cases the new Smart Key definition(s) will not take effect until the next time you use PC-Dial. The current definitions of Smart Keys (which were loaded into memory with the program) will be in effect until then. FIGURE #11 - This is the PC-DIAL.PRO file you saw earlier in Figure #7. Now it includes two Smart Keys. ______________________________________________________________________ *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** ______________________________________________________________________ Two Smart Keys have now been added (i.e., defined) on the seventh and eighth lines of this PC-DIAL.PRO file. The numbers "1" and "2" you see next to each word "\SMART" are what you press in combination with the (Alt) Key to invoke each Smart Key. The [13] means a carriage return will happen there. This is the same as if you had pressed the (Enter) Key. You can have up to twelve Smart Keys, using 0 - 9, as well as the "-" and "=" characters. Any Smart Keys you have defined will also be displayed each time you display the Help panel. ______________________________________________________________________ After adding a Smart Key with the PC-Dial Mini-Editor in your profile file the keys will not be activated until PC-Dial is restarted. If you put your Smart Keys in a log file, the keys will not become active until that .LOG file is loaded. After a Smart Key is loaded it will remain active until another Smart Key is put in its place, or until you quit the PC-Dial program. Remember that to use a Smart Key you will hold down the (Alt) and then press the appropriate key. To use Smart Key 2 in Figure #11, you would hold down the (Alt) key and press the number two key (at the top of the keyboard). Don't press any of the numbered keys on the numeric keypad for Smart Keys. The only .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS Page 93 Page 94. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide number keys that will work with Smart Keys are the ones across the top of the keyboard. The same holds true for Smart Keys using the "-" key, too. It should also be noted that Smart Keys will not function in the PC-Dial Mini-Editor. If you use a Smart Key to go to the Mini-Editor, the Smart Key will stop processing while you are in the Mini-Editor. Processing will continue after you finish editing (i.e., when you press either (F4) to abort or (F9) to save the file). Page 94 .PRO FILES, LOG FILES, AND SMART KEYS 5.0 DOWNLOADING FILES 5.1 RECEIVING (DOWNLOADING) FILES This function is one of the most common features that you will use. You will use this feature if you want to receive and store information (i.e., files and programs) from a remote computer. Pressing (F1) tells PC-Dial that you would like to receive or download a file. After you press (F1), PC-Dial will ask: Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a filename to receive into: If you enter a ?, PC-Dial will show you all of your files in the current subdirectory. If your communication parameters are set to 8 data bits, PC-Dial will next prompt you with this: Receive using (A) ASCII, (X) X-Modem, or (C) X-Modem-CRC If you are going to download a short, simple text file, then (A) ASCII would be sufficient. However, if you want to download a program file or a longer text file, you should use (X) X-Modem or (C) X-Modem-CRC. X-Modem and X-Modem-CRC protocol will automatically check for errors. Likewise, it verifies that your computer correctly received all the information that was downloaded. The third choice, (C) X-Modem-CRC is not widely available. However, X-Modem-CRC virtually eliminates the possibility of an error occurring while downloading. Note: X-Modem must be available on the remote computer if you intend to use it. If you wish to receive the file using (X) X-Modem and X-Modem-CRC, wait until the remote computer says it is ready to send the file. Then, press (F1) and enter the filename. Example: Enter a ? to see existing file names, or enter a filename to receive into:B:SAMPLE.DOC DOWNLOADING FILES Page 95 Page 96. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide You have just told PC-Dial to download the file into the file "SAMPLE.DOC" on the B drive. When you are using X-Modem for file transfer, you are required to use 8-data bits in your communications protocol. Read the section on (F4) - CHANGING COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS. With X-Modem transfer, a new file will always be created. If a file previously existed with the same name that you just specified, you have the option to delete it. After you have followed all of the steps, every character coming in on the communications line will automatically be saved in the disk file that you've named. The "receive" function is excellent for keeping a log of your entire communications session. After you're finished, you can go back in with PC-Dial's Mini-Editor and clean up that disk file. In other words, you can remove the parts that are unimportant. Then, you can print the whole file and save it for future reference. 5.2 STOP RECEIVING A FILE Pressing (F2) will close the disk file and will stop storing incoming characters. If you're using ASCII protocol, later on, you could always press (F1) and reopen the same file to save more incoming data, appended to the original data. If you are receiving a file using X-Modem, stay away from (F2) unless you have to abort the download. The file will automatically be closed when the sending computer tells you that the last data in the X-Modem transmission has been sent. And, as an added feature, PC-Dial has a bell that will ring twice as soon as it finishes the download. The bell is only activated when using X-Modem protocol. The bell cannot be disabled. If you should run into problems during transmission the best thing to do is to quit and start over. In other words, hang up and call again. There are times when you just get a bad telephone connection. Static in the phone lines, as well as someone picking up one of your extensions, also can create problems. Some carriers have cleaner lines than others. Many people experience poor connections when satellite transmission is used. If you have a choice you might want to opt for phone lines over satellite. If you get a bad connection, then you should hang up and phone again. Page 96 DOWNLOADING FILES PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 97. There are several things that you should check for if you can't seem to get a good transmission. Is your modem on? Is it hooked to the correct port? Is the connection properly made to the wall outlet? Be sure that all of your hardware has been set up correctly. Also, check the switches on your modem. DOWNLOADING FILES Page 97 Page 98. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 98 DOWNLOADING FILES 6.0 UPLOADING FILES 6.1 SENDING (UPLOADING) FILES In the previous chapter you learned how to receive or download files. This chapter covers how to send or upload files. Both sending and receiving files, as well as programs, are important aspects of PC-Dial. Whether or not you initially use these features, sooner or later you will. This will be especially true as the use of electronic mail continues to grow. Taking advantage of PC-Dial's ability to send files means you can create letters, reports, and other documents whenever you want; and then send (upload) them from wherever you might have them stored on disk. The convenience of sending something without ever leaving your keyboard beats using the Postal Service and even the overnight delivery services, too. 6.1.1 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN (F7) AND (F9) A term that you will become familiar with as you use your modem more frequently is "upload." Basically, "upload" means to send a file or line to another computer. If you wish to send information to a remote computer, there are two function keys that allow you to do this. (F7) is the SEND FILE function key. It allows you to send an entire file without stopping. (F9), the SEND LINE section key allows you to send a file one record (or line) at a time. In other words, (F7) allows you to send a whole file without pausing. You press the (F7) key, and PC-Dial takes care of the rest. On the other hand, if you use the (F9) key, you send the document line by line. You will have to press (F9) every time that you want to send another line. 6.1.2 LEARNING THE STEPS If you have a program, or if you've prepared a message, that you would like to quickly and painlessly send to the remote computer, then (F7) is the route to follow. Pressing (F7) tells PC-Dial that you would like to send a file. After you press (F7), PC-Dial will ask: UPLOADING FILES Page 99 Page 100. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?': If you type a ?, PC-Dial will show you all of your files in the current subdirectory. At this point you will enter the file name that you would like to transmit. Example: Enter the file number, any file name, or a '?':B:SAMPLE.DOC If you don't type a question mark then your logon files will be displayed in the upper left hand corner of the screen. If each of your logon files includes the dialing commands to autodial the phone number, this list serves as a dialing directory. LOG files are explained in greater detail in the chapter titled ".Pro Files, LOG Files and Smart Keys". You can transmit any file that exists on your disk. ASCII AND X-MODEM After entering the file number or name you will then be given the choice of: Send using (A) ASCII, (X) X-Modem, or (C) X-Modem-CRC: If you are going to upload (send) a short, simple text file, then (A) ASCII would be sufficient for this. However, if you want to send a program file or a longer text file, you must use (X) X-Modem. X-Modem will automatically check for errors. Likewise, it verifies that the remote computer correctly received all the information that was uploaded. The third choice, (C) X-Modem-CRC is not widely available. However, X-Modem-CRC virtually eliminates the possibility of an error occurring while uploading. After you've entered the correct information, PC-Dial will start transmitting the file. Be sure not to press (F7) until the remote computer is ready to receive your data. Once transmission begins, data will be sent continuously until either the entire file has been sent, or you have pressed (F9) or (F10). If you will be sending your file using X-Modem protocol, wait until the remote computer has signaled that it is ready to Page 100 UPLOADING FILES PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 101. receive your file. Then press (F7) and enter the necessary information. Once the computer has finished with the upload, the bell will ring twice and PC-Dial will tell you: 'Send' file is now closed. If you wish to send your file one line at a time while controlling when each line will be sent, use (F9). You will then be prompted to: Enter the file number or any file name: Enter a valid file name. After you enter the file name the program will ask you: Send using (A) ASCII, (X) X-Modem, or (C) X-Modem-CRC: PC-Dial will then wait for you to press (F9) again before transmitting the first line or record in your file. Each time you press (F9), one more line will be sent out. In this manner, you can control the sending of lines, usually sending one each time you observe that the remote computer is ready to receive it. However, if you transmit your file using X-Modem protocol, it will all be sent without pausing. The "one line at a time" only applies to upload of ASCII files. Therefore, if you try to send one line at a time using X-Modem, the program will automatically send the entire file--thus defaulting to (F7). When the line in the window is one of the predefined commands, PC-Dial will not pause after sending it. Commands will continue to be sent automatically until data appears that is not a command. 6.1.3 THE \DELAY COUNTER When you're sending files or lines to the remote computer, you may come across a computer that cannot receive data as fast as you're sending it. Normally, PC-Dial will stop sending until the remote computer sends an "x-on" character. However, there are cases where the remote computer doesn't understand x-on and x-off. Likewise, it can't receive as fast as you can send. The UPLOADING FILES Page 101 Page 102. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide result is that you lose data. You can see that this has happened if missing parts of your message or file are echoed to your screen. You can slow your sending speed down, and give the remote computer a chance to catch up by using the (F5) key. This allows you to set the "delay counter". The delay counter tells PC-Dial to count to some number after each character that it sends. You can make PC-Dial delay between characters, or between lines. You can imbed the command in your PC-Dial profile file, or in your transmit file. For example, if you wanted PC-Dial to delay 10 tenths of a second between characters, you would type: \DELAYC 10 If you wanted PC-Dial to delay 10 tenths of a second between lines you would type: \DELAYL 10 You may have to experiment a bit with this number to see what works most efficiently. 6.1.4 THE PEEK WINDOW When sending information "one line at a time" (F9), you will find (F8), the peek window, to be quite handy. By pressing (F8), you can see the next line to be transmitted. This information wil be displayed on the bottom line of your screen. Rather than transmitting the line in the window, you may choose to skip past it. This can be done by pressing the down arrow (2) on the numeric keypad. If you do this, PC-Dial will bypass the line in the peek window and retrieve the next line from the transmit file. Or, you can press the right arrow (4). If you do this, you will be prompted for a character string to be searched for in the transmit file. The prompt is: >. Enter the character string followed by the return key. PC-Dial will then bypass all lines in the transmit file until it finds the character string starting in column 1 of a line in your transmit file. Page 102 UPLOADING FILES PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 103. 6.1.5 THE SCAN WINDOW Going along with this, PC-Dial now has a "scan" window. By pressing 6 on the numeric keypad, you can search for a particular character. In this way. you can bypass all unnecessary information. For example after you press (F6), PC-Dial will prompt you with: Scan for: You can answer with a word or character that you want scanned. Example: Scan for:window PC-Dial will scan through the entire document and stop at the spot where "window" first appears. Refer to Chapter Three for more information on this feature. 6.1.6 RETRANSMIT LINE When using (F9), you can use the "retransmit line" capability. When you are in the "send line" mode, you can retransmit the line that was most recently transmitted. By pressing (Alt)R, the line will be retransmitted. Basically, this feature makes it easy to redial a phone number. Let's say that you have just dialed a number and you've gotten a busy signal; wait a moment or two and then press (Alt)R to redial the number. Your file will be closed for you when you have sent the last line, or when you press (F10). You can press (F7) at any time and PC-Dial will automatically switch from "one line at a time" to "the rest of the file". 6.1.7 IMBEDDED COMMANDS You may have commands for PC-Dial imbedded in your transmit file. The commands begin with a backwards slash \ and have a command encoded in CAPITAL LETTERS. (See chapter Three for more information on these commands). When PC-Dial detects one of these commands, it will act on it. It will not send the command out over the phone line as data. UPLOADING FILES Page 103 Page 104. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 6.1.8 (F10), STOP SENDING FILE To stop sending the file before you reach the end of it, press (F10). PC-Dial will close the file and discontinue the sending of file data. If you have been in the "send file" mode (F7), as opposed to the "send line" mode (F9) it may take a while for PC-Dial to empty its communications buffers. Don't panic. Eventually, the buffers will empty and the data will stop going out over the phone line. If you are using X-Modem, the alarm will sound twice when you abort the process. 6.1.9 SAVING TIME There are several features in PC-Dial that will help you to save time. First, by using the Smart Keys (also known as macros) you can do things much more quickly. For example, you could set up a Smart Key to upload a file using X-Modem. Likewise, you could run through the same process with downloading - all the while saving many keystrokes. Smart Keys also reduce the amount of keyboard entry errors. PC-Dial's Mini-Editor permits editing a text file without leaving PC-Dial. In other words, you can edit your files before uploading and downloading. Refer to Chapter Seven for more detailed instructions on using the Mini-Editor. Don't forget about your option of using DOS commands while working with PC-Dial. The luxury here is that you can take advantage of using DOS, without the need to stop what you're doing. This feature is especially helpful when you want to see what files you have on disk. Using the DOS function of (ALT)D, you can quickly do a "Dir" command and look at your disk directory. Page 104 UPLOADING FILES 7.0 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial now has a built-in word processor. Look at this as a Mini-Editor. This Mini-Editor is available whenever you hold down the (Alt) key and press the letter E. This is the same Mini-Editor you'll find in PC-File/R and in other ButtonWare programs. Actually, it is really a subset of PC-Type, ButtonWare's full featured word processing program. All files are created as ASCII text files. You can use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor in many ways. You even have the luxury to create notes, memos or batch files, while you are on-line sending or receiving electronic mail. The best part of all about this Mini-Editor is that whenever you need a word processor, you don't have to exit PC-Dial. Just press (Alt)E and you've got one at your disposal. You can do just about any kind of writing - all right within the program itself. This is a handy feature, which is just part of the PC-Dial program. Here is a summary of what you can do with the Mini-Editor: - create logon files - make changes in logon files - create and modify Smart Keys - make changes to the .PRO file - edit files before uploading - edit files after downloading - create files NOTE: You must have at least 220K available memory to run the Mini-Editor. In many cases, you'll be able to use your own word processor to create files to be used by PC-Dial. The only requirement is that your word processor must save data in pure "ASCII" format. If your word processor doesn't save data in pure ASCII format, it probably has a utility function or optional program that will convert files into ASCII format. You'll need to find out how to do this from the literature supplied with your word processing USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 105 Page 106. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide program. You will find that after working just a little with PC-Dial's Mini-Editor, you will become comfortable with the commands. It will become a handy tool to use in conjunction with all the communicating you do. CAUTION: THE MINI-EDITOR WILL ONLY RUN ON MACHINES THAT are highly compatible with the IBM PC. 7.1 FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE MINI-EDITOR In this section you will learn how to use PC-Dial's Mini-Editor. We are going to follow the process step by step. If you have already worked with word processing in other ButtonWare products, then you will already be familiar with the commands. Feel free to skip over any areas of text you feel you understand. Keep in mind, however, that you might want to skim through those areas you know about. The most important point to keep in mind is that you don't have to leave the PC-Dial program to use the Mini-Editor. That's true even if you are on-line with another computer. With everything built in to PC-Dial, using the Mini-Editor is just a matter of knowing the right commands and how to use them. 7.1.1 HOW TO USE PC-DIAL'S MINI-EDITOR. To work with the Mini-Editor just use the (Alt)E command. By holding down the (Alt) key and pressing the letter E you will then see: File spec. to edit: This is the point where you can create a new file or work with a file you already have stored on disk. Once you type in a file name, PC-Dial then invokes the Mini-Editor. Figure #12 shows you what the screen will look like at that point. Page 106 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 107. FIGURE #12 - PC-Dial's Mini-Editor screen (i.e., working area) ______________________________________________________________________ ├───── START ─────┤ _ ├────── END ──────┤ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒W▒▒▒▒▒1▒▒▒5▒▒ FNs: 1H 2I 4Q 5D 9F ______________________________________________________________________ This is the Editing Window of PC-Dial's Mini-Editor. There are three basic areas: The TEXT AREA, the COMMAND LINE (displayed in reverse video), and the MESSAGE LINE. The TEXT AREA starts under the word "START" and goes down to the solid line you see at the bottom. That is the Command line, where you will be entering commands. Below that is the message line which displays abbreviated definitions of the Function Keys. ______________________________________________________________________ 7.1.2 THE EDITING WINDOW The editing window (shown in Figure #12) is divided into three areas: The TEXT AREA, the COMMAND LINE (displayed in reverse video), and the MESSAGE LINE. The "W" on the COMMAND LINE indicates that the word-wrap feature is turned on. The numbers indicate the current row and column number position in the text where the cursor is located. USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 107 Page 108. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide The MESSAGE LINE is an area where PC-Dial's Mini-Editor will "talk" to you. It will let you know what is happening as you use the program, as well as displaying messages about any problems. The Message Line normally shows abbreviations for five of the Function Keys: *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** 7.1.3 SAVING A FILE When you're through working with a file, you save it by pressing (F9). When you press (F9), you will see the following: Name for the saved file (sample.log): It will save the file (i.e., what you see in parentheses) by the file name you used initially. If you want to save the file under a new name, then just type in the new file name. Pressing the (Enter) key then saves the file for you. The screen will then look like this: Name for the save file (sample.log): Edit completed Press (Enter) After you press the (Enter) key one more time you will then be returned to PC-Dial. The message "Ready to communicate" means you may continue on with what you were doing before you started working with the Mini-Editor. 7.1.4 THE ESCAPE KEY While editing a file, pressing (Esc) moves the cursor from the TEXT AREA to the COMMAND LINE. Pressing it a second time moves the cursor from the COMMAND LINE back to the TEXT AREA. Look at the (Esc) key as a way to toggle back and forth between the TEXT AREA and the command line. Page 108 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 109. Sometimes, the (Esc) key is used to cancel a command. 7.1.5 MOVING THE CURSOR AND SCROLLING The four cursor arrow keys move the cursor around in the TEXT AREA. The cursor moves in the direction indicated by the arrows on the keys. The PgUp and PgDn keys shift the file up or down a full screen (less one line). The Home key moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line. The End key moves the cursor to the right end of the current line. 7.1.6 FUNCTION KEYS The Function Keys behave as follows: USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 109 (Page 110 omitted) PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 111. FIGURE #13 - PC-Dial's help screen ______________________________________________________________________ FUNCTION KEYS (F1) - HELP (F2) - INS line below (F3) - ENTER key tgle (F4) - QUIT (F5) - DELETE line (F6) - ERASE end line (F7) - SPLIT line (F8) - TABS (F9) - FILE (F10) - EXEC CMND LINE COMMAND LINE /str - Find str-blw -/str- Find str-abv nn - Fwd nn lines -nn - Bkwd nn lines BLOCK CONTROLS (Alt) l mark line(s) (Alt) u unblock (Alt) c copy block or -- Esc to exit _____________________________________________________________________ Pressing (F1) while editing a file brings up the Mini-Editor's help screen. This is just the first of three such help "panels" you can use to work your way around the command structure. Use the down arrow or up arrow keys to move through the help panels. Many times you can find the answers to your questions here, instead of referring to the manual. Pressing the (Esc) key will return you to what you were editing. ______________________________________________________________________ 7.1.7 THE COMMAND LINE Commands can be entered on the command line to search for text in the file, and to move the screen "window" up and down in the file. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 111 Page 112. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** MOVING BACKWARD OR FORWARD "nn" LINES *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** CHANGING THE PAGE LAYOUT *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** Page 112 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 113. BLOCK CONTROL FEATURES: Portions of your file can be moved, copied, deleted, and reformatted by using the block control commands. Remember that all of these (Alt) commands that are used in PC-Dial's Mini-Editor, are not the same as the (Alt) commands that are used in PC-Dial. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 113 Page 114. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** WORD PROCESSING TOGGLE KEYS These are special keys you use in combination with the (Alt) key. You will be holding down the (Alt) key and then striking the key you want to activate (i.e., turn on a particular feature). Holding the (Alt) down a second time and pressing the same key again "turns off" that feature. A feature is active when you see the letter displayed toward the right hand side of the Command line. Here's a listing of the toggle keys: *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** Page 114 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 115. 7.1.8 IMBEDDING UNUSUAL ASCII CHARACTERS You may wish to place special printer highlighting characters in the text of your file. Or, you may want to key in some of the special characters that aren't on the keyboard, such as a character from the greek character set. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 115 Page 116. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 7.1.9 PRINTING FILES CREATED WITH THE MINI-EDITOR After you've created a file, you might want to print it out. Since PC-Dial's Mini-Editor doesn't have a function for printing, you will need to use the DOS PRINT command. This is a specific program file that comes on your DOS diskette. It's called PRINT.COM and is found with all versions of DOS (2.0 or higher). Also, you can redirect the DOS TYPE command to the printer. You must be at the DOS level to print. That means you will either exit PC-Dial or use the (Alt)D feature. Using (Alt)D means you can print the file while remaining in PC-Dial. To use the DOS PRINT command, just do the following: - Make sure you have PRINT.COM on your default drive. - From the DOS level type in the word PRINT, followed by the name of the file you want to print. That's all there is to it. You have the option to use your own word processor to print any of these files, too. 7.1.10 THE MINI-EDITOR AS A HANDY TOOL In no time at all you will find that PC-Dial's Mini-Editor is yet another tool you can use in many ways. As with ButtonWare's other programs with this Mini-Editor, it's nice to have the ability to write whenever you need it. A good example of this is when you find your needs have changed for a particular logon file. This usually happens at the time you logon to a remote computer. Now, instead of waiting until later (or maybe even forgetting about it), you can instantly make changes in the file. You do that by merely using PC-Dial's Mini-Editor to call up that logon file. Editing the file is Page 116 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 117. quick and painless. It's so effortless that you'll feel like you're cheating. You can even do memos, letters, and reports with PC-Dial's Mini-Editor. You might also have a need to create a batch file. Remember, too, that you can use the Mini-Editor to modify your Smart Keys. You would do that by editing your PC-DIAL.PRO file or LOG file. It all boils down to using the Mini-Editor in the way that works best for you. Best of all, the Mini-Editor is there at any point you might need it . . . just like any good tool. USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E Page 117 Page 118. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 118 USING THE MINI-EDITOR (ALT)E PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 119. ERROR MESSAGES Although we try to prevent numbered error messages from ever appearing on your screen, we can't guarantee that it'll never happen. If you do receive an unusual error message that you can't figure out, the following list of messages and message numbers may help you determine what's going on. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** (Page 120-122 omitted) APPENDIX A. A FEATURES CHECKLIST Making comparisons of the many communications programs on the market today is a popular pastime. The features checklist provided here will help simplify such a task. We welcome any and all comparisons of PC-Dial to other programs. You'll soon discover that PC-Dial does far more than most programs selling for many times the price. Additionally, many of PC-Dial's helpful features aren't even available in other programs. Communications Ports COM1 and COM2 supported Line Speeds (bits per second) 75, 110, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, 2400, 4800, 9600 Asynchronous Protocols With Error Detection XMODEM Checksum XMODEM CRC Communications Options Word length (5, 6, 7 or 8 bit) Parity (Space, Mark, Even, Odd, or None) Stop bits (1 or 2) Local echo (On or Off) Remote echo supported On-line change of communications options permitted Can send true break signal Telephone Dialing Automatic log-on supported (through scripts) Automatic redial until connect Automatic redial with signal Maximum number of stored scripts - unlimited Transmitting/Receiving Data ASCII files Non-Ascii files XON/XOFF supported User-specified delay after each character User-specified delay after each line Operator can control sending of each line individually Operator can intermix keyboard text with file text on transmission User-specified end-of-line characters Unattended transmission at chosen time A Features Checklist Page 123 Page 124. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Abort transmission at operator request Data capture to disk or printer Printing Operator can route all received data directly to printer Operator can toggle printing on/off while receiving Filtering/Translating Capabilities Add line feeds (incoming or outgoing data) Delete line feeds (incoming data) Strip specified characters (incoming data) Convert tabs to spaces (incoming data) Convert any char to string of characters (incoming data) Maximum number of translation table entries: 50 (50 chars can be translated to another char or string) Macro/Script Programming Capabilities User defined macros and script files Assign macros to keys (12 keys maximum) Batch operation from DOS Can "wait for" a character or string Can "wait for" a time of day Can "wait for" a user specified delay A macro can transmit a file A macro can set communications parameters Access to DOS from command file Macros can pause for keyboard input from operator Scripts can display messages to operator (comments) Scripts can sound an alarm File Handling On-line viewing of disk directory On-line viewing of disk files On-line deletion and renaming of disk files On-line printing of files On-line editing of files RAM Memory Minimum required is 164K Available RAM (this does not support use of the mini editor) Minimum required is 220K (if the Mini Editor will be used). Additional memory is only required if larger text files will be edited using the Mini Editor. Maximum supported is 640K. Printers Supported: Any printer on the "parallel" port (LPT1) Page 124 A Features Checklist PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 125. Disk Drives Minimum required is 1 Maximum is whatever is supported by the DOS operating system Hard Disk Support: Program may reside on hard disk Data may reside on hard disk Separate subdirectories are supported Electronic Disk Support: Program may reside on electronic disk Data may reside on electronic disk Openness of the system Is Program "copy-protected"? NO Miscellaneous advanced features Built in mini-editor provided "Snapshot" screen images can be saved on disk Display elapsed time (operator or macro can reset) and time of day Help screen available, shows commands and macros currently defined A Features Checklist Page 125 Page 126. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 126 A Features Checklist APPENDIX B. SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0 - PC-Dial can now automatically handle "scripts". It can pause until user specified characters are received from the remote computer, and then continue processing. It can also pause for user specified time intervals, or until a specific time of day. It could be told, for example, to automatically call a number, log on to the remote computer, download a series of files or messages, and then log off, hang up the phone, and return to DOS. - A DOS command can be entered while using PC-Dial. The command can come from the keyboard, or from your transmit file. - (Alt)E permits editing a text file while using PC-Dial. A Mini-Editor is provided for this purpose. This is very useful for creating logon scripts, and for editing files before upload or after download. This is the same Mini-Editor provided in PC-File/R and in other ButtonWare products. It is a subset of the PC-Type word processor. - (Alt)H brings up a help screen when needed. The help screen also shows the macros currently in effect. - Smart Keys, or "macros" can be defined by the user. Twelve macros are available. The macros can "imbed" other macros. Macro commands can cause timed delays. The macros can even pause to allow operator input, and then continue. - The printer can now be "switched" on or off to capture portions of the communications session. - Communications parameters are easier to change. The user is asked a series of questions. - The throttle now controls two delays 1. Delay from character to character 2. Delay from line to line - Improved subdirectory support. Files can be sent from or received into any subdirectory, without having to first \CHDIR into it. - Screen snapshots are easier to create. You don't have to know SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0 Page 127 Page 128. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide what type of video monitor you are using. - An on-screen timer is provided. It shows both time of day and elapsed time. The timer can be reset at any time by the operator or automatically from a macro or from the transmit file. - You can easily change the characters which should be transmitted at the end of each line. - The filter has been improved. Incoming characters can be translated into a variable number of characters. - The transmit file can request that characters be entered into the keyboard buffer, as if they had been typed by the operator. All valid keystrokes are supported. - It's easier to upload or download using X-Modem or X-Modem-CRC protocols. The user is asked about protocols, rather than having to know how to issue special commands. - A third file transfer protocol has been added: X-Modem-CRC. The other two protocols are X-Modem-Checksum, and ASCII. - A new file "menu" is now displayed whenever you are asked for a file name to transmit. The menu shows the file names in sorted sequence. Files can be chosen quickly by number, or by typing the name. - If the file to be downloaded already exists, the operator will be alerted and offered several courses of action. - An audible alarm now alerts you to completion of any X-Modem file transfer. - A BELL command can cause the alarm to sound whenever it's transmitted from a file. - When you ask DOS to start PC-Dial, you can also specify a file to be automatically transmitted immediately after the profile file and before control is returned to the user. This gives you the ability to have customized profiles, commands or scripts which are executed for specific uses or situations. - A "PIF" file is provided for running PC-Dial under Microsoft WINDOWS and Topview. Page 128 SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0 PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 129. - Please note the new memory requirements for PC-Dial version 2.0: - 164K Available RAM to run PC-Dial, but without use of the mini editor - 220K Available RAM to run PC-Dial if the Mini-Editor will be used SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0 Page 129 Page 130. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 130 SUMMARY OF ENHANCEMENTS TO VERSION 2.0 APPENDIX C. GLOSSARY ASCII The abbreviation for American National Code for Information Interchange. All characters: alpha, numeric, graphic, etc. are represented by a unique ASCII value. ASCII decimal value The numeric value which represents a character. asynchronous A method of communications. Data bits are transmitted serially (one at time). Start bits and stop bits are used to signal the start and end of each data character auto-dial An auto-dial modem automatically dials the number entered by you or the communications program. You do not have to manually dial a phone number using an auto-dial modem. baud Roughly equivalent to bits per second which are transmitted in communications. Baud and bps are units of measure which refer to the speed of communications transmission. The higher the number, the faster the transmission of information. bps Abbreviation for bits per second. bps is a unit of measure for communications transmission speed. bulletin board A bulletin board is a computer which is set up to accept phone calls from other computers. A bulletin board may provide program files to be downloaded, messages about a certain subject, provide electronic mail services, etc. The abbreviation for bulletin board is BBS. carrier signal The signal emitted by a remote computer indicating a connection has been established. GLOSSARY Page 131 Page 132. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide COM1: The port designated as the first serial port. communications buffer A "holding-tank". The communications buffer temporarily stores data which is sent by your computer before being transmitted over the phone line. communications parameters The different settings used to create your communications environment. The communications parameters include the port, speed, parity, data bits, stop bits and options. data bits The number of bits transmitted to represent each character of data. dialing directory The directory of currently defined logon files displayed by PC-Dial. The dialing directory is like a phone book. download To transfer information from the remote computer to your computer. Your computer will receive information. echo When communicating with another computer, the remote computer will usually return the characters received to your computer. This produces an echo of the data you enter. The data entered will also be displayed on your monitor. electronic mail Mail service provided between computers via the telephone lines. You can send letters, documents and files via electronic mail. Electronic mail offers convenience and instant delivery seven days a week. filespec.ext The DOS notation used to name a file. filespec is the file name and/or subdirectory (not including the subdirectory), which can be up to eight characters long. ext is the file extension, which can be up to three characters long. A period separates the filespec and ext. filter Filters in PC-Dial are instructions to either remove or replace certain characters as they arrive from the remote computer. A filter can replace a character with a different Page 132 GLOSSARY PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 133. character, or a string of characters. Function Keys Function Keys on the IBM PC are the ten gray keys to the left of the main keyboard. In PC-Dial, the Function Keys store a pre-defined function or command. host computer The host computer is the computer which allows other computers to call and connect with itself. The host computer is usually the remote computer. line speed The speed of transmission. The line speed is measured in bits per second (bps) or baud. logon file A disk file which contains the necessary information to log you on to a remote computer or bulletin board. PC-Dial recognizes all files ending with the extension .LOG as a logon file. LPT1: The port designated as the first parallel port. This is usually connected to your printer. macro A macro stores several or many keystrokes in one key. You can define a macro for functions you do repeatedly. Once the macro is defined, you activate the macro. The stored keystrokes are sent to the computer as if you had typed them. In PC-Dial, a macro is referred to as a Smart Key. Mini-Editor The text editor built into PC-Dial. modem A device which permits the transmission and reception of information for your PC over telephone lines. There are external modems and internal modems. External modems are connected to your computer by a cable. Internal modems are installed directly inside the computer. parallel port Connection at the back of the PC for a parallel interface, usually for connection to a printer. Information sent from the computer through the parallel port is transmitted more than one bit at a time. GLOSSARY Page 133 Page 134. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide parity An extra bit that is transmitted after each data character to enable the receiving computer to verify the accuracy of the data received. There are several different types of parity checking schemes. peek window The window in PC-Dial which allows you to preview text of the file being transmitting. The peek window displays the next line of the file to be transmitted. profile file A file which contains information affecting the operating environment of the program. The default profile file in PC-Dial is PC-DIAL.PRO. program file A file which executes a program. The PC-Dial program file is PC-DIAL.EXE. protocol The "rules" that are agreed upon in advance, and strictly followed when two computers are communicating with each other. remote computer The computer your computer is communicating with. The remote computer is often referred to as the host computer. script In PC-Dial a script is defined as a sequence of information. When you transmit a script, the information is sent to the remote computer, as if you had typed it from the keyboard. A script can be used to log you on to a remote computer without input from your keyboard. serial port Connection at the back of the PC for a serial interface. Connection from your serial port to your modem is made via an RS-232 serial cable. Data transmitted through the serial port is transmitted one bit at a time. Smart Key A Smart Key is a keyboard macro. In PC-Dial, a Smart Key stores several or many keystrokes in one key. You can define a Smart Key for functions you do repeatedly. Once the macro is defined, you activate the macro. The stored keystrokes are sent to the computer as if you had typed them. Page 134 GLOSSARY PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 135. stop bits A data character can be accompanied by 1 or 2 stop bits. The stop bits signal the end of the data character and its accompanying parity bit (if any). subdirectory A subdirectory is a sectioned part of a disk. Subdirectories allow you to divide your hard disk into more manageable portions. To use subdirectories, you must be using DOS 2.0 or later. SYSOP Abbreviation for System Operator. The SYSOP is the person or persons who maintain a bulletin board. text editor A text editor is a program which allows you to create, edit save and retrieve text files. A text editor saves the text in a standard ASCII format. No special formatting characters are used. toggle A toggle changes the operating state between the available settings of a function. For example, many text editors use the (Ins) key as a toggle. The first time you press the (Ins) key, you turn the insert mode on. The next time you press the (Ins) key, you turn the insert mode off. transmission speed The speed at which data is transmitted over the phone line. The unit of measure for transmission speed is bps or baud. upload To send information from your computer to the remote computer. The remote computer receives information. X-Modem An error checking protocol used when transmitting information from one computer to another. The X-Modem protocol verifies that the information received is the information which was sent. When sending program files or long text files, you should use the X-Modem or X-Modem CRC protocol. X-Modem-CRC An error checking protocol used when transmitting information from one computer to another. The X-Modem CRC protocol verifies that the information received is the information which was sent. The X-Modem CRC protocol is a newer protocol GLOSSARY Page 135 Page 136. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide than X-Modem. When sending program files or long text files, you should use the X-Modem or X-Modem CRC protocol. XON/XOFF characters Special characters sometimes transmitted between two computers to tell each other when to stop and resume data transmission. Page 136 GLOSSARY APPENDIX D. THE FILES ON YOUR PROGRAM DISK This information is provided so that you'll know the function of each file and program on your PC-Dial disk. BUTTON7.LOG A sample logon file for use with (F7). It can be deleted from your disk. BUTTON9.LOG A sample logon file for use with (F9). It can be deleted from your disk. DOC.BAT This is a batch file that produces a printed copy of the "manual on disk." You can delete this from your production diskette. PC-DIAL.DOC The "manual on disk." This is an evaluation copy (a subset) of the printed manual that registered users receive from ButtonWare. You can delete this from your production diskette. PC-DIAL.EXE This is the "main" PC-Dial program. It's required. PC-DIAL.PIF The "Program Information File" for use by Microsoft WINDOWS. This file provides the information which WINDOWS needs in order to handle PC-Dial correctly. It can be deleted if you're not using WINDOWS. PC-DIAL.PRO A control file used by PC-Dial to determine your operating environment. PCLTR0.EXE This is the "mini editor" overlay used by PC-DIAL. It's required if you will be editing files online via the (Alt)E command. The Files on Your Program Disk Page 137 Page 138. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide READ.ME A brief file of "introductory" information to PC-Dial and User Supported software. It can be deleted from your production disk. RESPONSE A text file containing a copy of the User Response Form. This file may be printed out to create a feedback response form for mailing to ButtonWare. You can delete it if you wish. However, the information ButtonWare receives on these forms is carefully evaluated. If you want to let us know about additional features (or improvements to current ones) in PC-Dial, please complete this form and send it in to us. You can delete this file from your production diskette. Page 138 The Files on Your Program Disk APPENDIX E. WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT ButtonWare offers technical support to all registered users of ButtonWare products. Before you call or write with questions or problems, please follow these steps: 1. Verify that your equipment is compatible with the program. Requirements are listed in the manual. 2. Verify that your computer and all peripheral equipment is turned on, and is functioning properly. Make sure that the printer cables, modem cables, etc. are securely connected to your computer. 3. Verify that you have enough RAM memory available to run the program. The minimum memory requirements for each program are listed in the manual. You can use the DOS CHKDSK command to find out how much RAM memory you have available. Refer to your DOS manual for instructions on using the CHKDSK command. 4. READ THE MANUAL. The Technical Support department has found that almost 50 percent of the questions are answered in the manual. 5. CAREFULLY REVIEW the Frequently Asked Questions section of this manual. You will find that many of your questions will be covered in that section. 6. Try the program. Again, the Technical Support department has found that many people call or write before they even try to use the program. 7. If you purchased the program from a dealer, consult your dealer. If your questions have not been answered after following the above steps, you may call or write to the Technical Support department. Before you call or write, please answer the questions on the next page. *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT Page 139 Page 140. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Your computer should already be turned on and ready to go. You can also call Button-Net, ButtonWare's bulletin board service after 3:00 pm and before 8:00 am (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday, and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. Answers to the most common questions are provided for all registered users to read on ButtonNet. If you do not find an answer to your questions, you may leave a message on the bulletin board. Remember to include the information requested on the following page. If you will be writing for technical support, please address your correspondence to: ButtonWare Attn: Technical Support Dept. P.O. Box 5786 Bellevue, WA 98006 Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. If you will be sending in diskettes, you must provide a self-addressed stamped disk mailer if you wish the diskettes returned to you. Remember to include the information requested on the following page. E.1 INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT STAFF SOFTWARE PRODUCT ____________________________________ VERSION ______ MACHINE INFORMATION COMPUTER BRAND AND MODEL __________________________________________ AMOUNT OF RAM MEMORY INSTALLED ____________________________________ VERSION OF DOS BEING USED _________________________________________ TYPE & SIZE OF DISK DRIVES ________________________________________ PRINTER BRAND AND MODEL ___________________________________________ MODEM BRAND AND MODEL _____________________________________________ Page 140 WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 141. MONITOR BRAND AND MODEL ___________________________________________ PROGRAM INFORMATION EXACT WORDING OF ANY ERROR MESSAGE _________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ CAN YOU CONSISTENTLY REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM _________________________ IF SO, HOW _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR ON A DIFFERENT MACHINE OR ONLY ONE __________ IF OCCURS ON ONLY ONE MACHINE, WHAT IS PECULIAR ABOUT THAT MACHINE _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ HAS THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BEFORE ____________________________________ IF THE PROBLEM IS NEW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING DIFFERENTLY, OR WHAT HAVE YOU CHANGED ON YOUR MACHINE _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT Page 141 Page 142. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 142 WHEN YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT APPENDIX F. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS We have found that the experiences of many people are similar when it comes to learning how to use software. There are common problems and questions just about all of us have from time to time - no matter how experienced we are. The ButtonWare Technical Support Staff has put together the following list. Technical Support is always there when you need them, but checking this listing of questions first, BEFORE you do anything else, will help save a lot of time. Your input would appreciated on these questions and others you feel should be added. 1. "I am not using a Hayes compatible modem". PC-Dial is not modem specifc. You can use PC-Dial with virtually every modem. You must refer to your modem manual for the proper codes to dial a phone number, etc. You must be using an IBM computer, or computer which is very IBM compatible. PC-Dial was not written to run on the PCjr. 2. "I am having trouble using PC-Dial on my PCjr". PC-Dial does not support the PCjr. 3. "I am unable to start the program. When I type PC-Dial, I receive the message "PROGRAM TOO BIG TO FIT INTO MEMORY". PC-Dial requires a minimum of 164K available RAM memory. You can use the DOS CHKDSK command to verify the amount of RAM memory available. The amount of disk space is not important. The amount of memory installed is not important. If you are using a RAM disk, print spooler, or other memory-resident programs, you may disable some or all of the programs using RAM memory. 4. "When I try to type from the keyboard or transmit a file, nothing happens." Most likely, your modem is not turned on. Your modem must be turned on prior to working with PC-Dial. 5. "When I start PC-Dial, I get DEVICE I/O ERRORs". FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS Page 143 Page 144. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide There are two common reasons for DEVICE I/O ERRORs when first starting PC-Dial. First, some modems return a DEVICE I/O ERROR the first time data is received by the modem. If this is the case, you will see one DEVICE I/O ERROR. Second, multiple DEVICE I/O ERRORs when the program and PC-DIAL.PRO are executing, can indicate a a problem with your serial port. Perhaps your modem is not connected to the serial port indicated in PC-DIAL.PRO, or you have another device, such as a mouse counnected to the port. Make sure your modem is securely connected to the designated port. 6. "When I am connected to the remote computer, sometimes I get DEVICE I/O ERRORs". DEVICE I/O ERRORs can occur for several reasons. Normally, a DEVICE I/O ERROR indicates a problem with the connection. If the phone connection is poor, you may receive DEVICE I/O ERRORs. If the modem is not connected properly to your serial port, you will receive DEVICE I/O ERRORs. If someone picks up the phone while you are connected to a remote computer, you will receive a DEVICE I/O ERROR. When hanging up after being connected to some remote computers, you will receive a DEVICE I/O ERROR. If you are no longer connected to the remote computer, you do not need to worry about DEVICE I/O ERRORs. 7. "When I am talking to the remote computer, I don't see anything on my screen". Some computers don't echo the data back to you. If you do not see anything on your screen, you can turn echo on. To turn echo on, press (F3). For more information, please see the section on (F3) - TURN ECHO ON/OFF. 8. "When I am talking to the remote computer, I see double characters of everything I type". If you are seeing double characters, the remote computer is echoing the data back to your computer, and you have echo on. When the remote computer echoes data back to your computer, you must turn echo off. To turn echo off, press (F3). For more information, please see the section on (F3) - TURN ECHO ON/OFF. 9. "When I am talking to the remote computer, I see garbage characters on my screen". Garbage characters indicate a bad connection. Garbage Page 144 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 145. characters do not come from PC-Dial or the remote computer. You should not use satellite system connections to call a remote computer. If you continue to get a poor connection, try calling at a different time of the day, or if possible, from a different location. 10. "PC-Dial doesn't ask me if I want to transmit using X-Modem or X-Modem CRC". If PC-Dial doesn't allow you to select either the X-Modem or X-Modem CRC protocols, your communications parameters are set to 7 data bits. In order to transmit using X-Modem or X-Modem CRC, you must being using 8 data bits and parity N. Please see the section on (F4) - SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS and the \COM command. 11. "When I use the "mini-editor", my machine freezes." PC-Dial's "mini-editor" requires a minimum of 220K available RAM memory. If you do not have at least 220K available, the results of the "mini-editor" will be unpredictable. 12. "My smart keys stop when I enter the "mini-editor". Smart keys are not active in the "mini-editor". Smart keys will continue when you exit the "mini-editor". 13. "Can I use PC-Dial with Windows or Topview?" Yes. We have provided a file called PC-DIAL.PIF on your PC-Dial distribution disk. The PC-DIAL.PIF file contains the information required by Windows and Topview. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS Page 145 Page 146. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 146 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND COMMON PROBLEMS APPENDIX G. QUICK REFERENCE CARD PC-DIAL Version 2.0 Quick Reference Card *** This information omitted from your evaluation copy *** QUICK REFERENCE CARD Page 147 (Page 148 omitted) APPENDIX H. USER RESPONSE FORM We need to know more about you and your requirements. This information helps us to make improvements, as well as add new features. Please help us by completing the questionnaire on the following pages and mailing it to: Jim Button User Survey P.O. Box 5786 Bellevue, WA 98006 USA If you don't want to remove these pages from your manual and a copy machine isn't available, there is a file on your PC-Dial diskette called RESPONSE which is a copy of this form. You may print out RESPONSE by using the following procedure. Then fill in the printed form and mail it to us. To print out the RESPONSE form: 1. Boot up your DOS system in the usual manner 2. Put your PC-Dial diskette in the A: drive 3. Make your printer ready 4. Type in this command at the keyboard: [U]COPY A:RESPONSE PRN[u] User Response Form Page 149 Page 150. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide 1. Where did you hear about PC-Dial? _____________________________________________________________ 2. Your computer brand and model: _____________________________________________________________ 3. Amount of computer RAM memory: _____________________________________________________________ 4. Types of disk: _____________________________________________________________ 5. Monochrome or color display? _____________________________________________________________ 6. Modem brand and model: _____________________________________________________________ 7. What do you like best about PC-Dial? _____________________________________________________________ 8. What do you like least about PC-Dial? _____________________________________________________________ 9. Name and address (optional) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Page 150 User Response Form PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 151. Here are some enhancements to PC-Dial that are being considered. Please help us to prioritize them. - Put a "1" beside each feature you would find useful. - Put a "2" beside any that are quite important to you. - Put a "3" beside those that are absolutely essential. ___ Smarter command repertoire, i.e. "if, then, goto" ___ Disconnect after period of inactivity ___ More smart keys ___ A "menu" of defined smart keys ___ A more complete "help" function ___ Filters for data being transmitted ___ Bigger translation table (more filters) ___ Redefine all keys at user option ___ Mask 8th bit on incoming / outgoing data ___ Transmit groups of files ___ Calculate transmission time before sending file ___ Other file transfer protocols:__________________ ___ A more "sophisticated" dialing directory ___ Faster line speeds ___ Terminal emulation:_____________________________ ___ Background printing of files ___ Compress / uncompress data ___ Data encryption / decryption ___ Beginners guide ___ Disk tutorial ___ Other:__________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ ___ ________________________________________________ User Response Form Page 151 Page 152. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Page 152 User Response Form ORDER FORM ButtonWare, Inc. 1-800-J-BUTTON (orders only) P.O. Box 5786 206-454-0479 (office number) Bellevue, WA 98006 Federal Employer I.D.# 91-1277227 - Prices are subject to change without notice - Price includes technical support for one year - We normally ship within 48 hours QUANTITY PRICE PRICE ITEM QTY DISCOUNT* EACH EXTENDED -------------------- --- -------- ----- -------- PC-Dial Quantity 1 to 4 ___ 0% $ 59.95 $_______ Quantity 5 to 9 ___ 20% 47.96 _______ Quantity 10 to 49 ___ 25% 44.96 _______ Quantity 50 to 99 ___ 30% 41.97 _______ Quantity 100 + ___ 35% 38.97 _______ PC-File+ ___ * 69.95 _______ PC-Type+ ___ * 69.95 _______ PC-Calc ___ * 59.95 _______ Baker's Dozen ___ * 59.95 _______ PC-Stylist ___ * 29.95 _______ PC-Tickle ___ * 29.95 _______ XD ___ * 29.95 _______ *The quantity discount percents apply to each product SUBTOTAL: $_______ (Wash. state residents only) 8.1% sales tax _______ Shipping and handling $ 5.00 5.00 Orders outside U.S. and Canada add $ 5.00 _______ TOTAL: $_______ [] MasterCard [] Visa [] check (U.S. funds only) Card number____________________________________________ Expiration date__________ Signature____________________ Name ________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ City ______________________ State_____ Zip_________ Country ___________________ Phone (____)_____-________ ORDER FORM Page 153 Page 154. PC-Dial(tm) User's Guide Where did you hear about ButtonWare?___________________ Where did you get your copy of PC-Dial? _______________________________________________________ ^L