home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
-
- New Telephone Codes for !STDFinder
-
- On browsing through Julyan Bristow's excellent
- program, creating which must have occupied many
- hours, I started to come across some anomalies
- in the Newcodes data file.
-
- As most people will be aware of by now, although
- the target date for the new STD codes (called
- PhoneDay) is 16th April 1995, both old and new
- codes can now be used up to that date.
-
- I decided to bring into use Julyan's Newcodes file
- and then found that it was inaccurate. Firstly. I
- found that the program, written two years ago, was
- wrong as far as cities such as Bristol and Leeds
- were concerned in that they still had the old codess
- imply prefixed by '01' instead of '0'.
-
- I suspect that the new information was not available
- in March 1993 when the original file was written.
- Secondly, I discovered that, in a number of cases,
- where places used to have two codes, depending on
- whether there were 3,4,5 or 6 figured telephone
- numbers, they now had one code. Obviously in the
- two years since the file was written BT had been
- doing some work in converting subscribers to six
- figure numbers. I then decided to go through
- the whole file and the 'number' became an awful lot,
- so BT had been working really hard. As a Senior
- Citizen I was able to spare the several hours that
- were necessary to amend the file. Purists will
- note the reduction in size of the file. Julyan
- mentions that the information could be wrong.
-
- This new file has been updated using the January
- 1994 Southampton area telephone directory and I have
- included all the amendments that were expected to
- come into use during the lifetime of that directory.
-
- In some cases, previously listed exchanges have
- disappeared, in others, some exchanges have acquired
- additional codes for 6 figure numbers. I also came
- across some funnies, particularly with the big
- cities which are getting new codes and seven figure
- telephone numbers at the same time. I checked these
- 'funnies' with the BT helpline, so I hope that I
- have got things right. However, with the best
- will in the world, I would be extremely lucky if
- the odd mistake had not been made. If the user
- finds any errors please let me know at the address
- below or give me a ring.
-
- I have written to Julyan Bristow telling him what I
- am doing, but to date I have not had a reply.
-
- I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK DONE BY JULYAN BRISTOW
- ON THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM. MY CONTRIBUTION SIMPLY
- BRINGS HIS 'NEWCODES' FILE UP TO DATE AS FAR AS
- POSSIBLE, AND DOES NOTHING TO ALTER HIS ORIGINAL
- APPLICATION IN ANY WAY.
-
- This updated file is being passed to Dave and Sue
- McCartney of the Datafile and to Dave Holden of
- APDL, both of whom provide an excellent Public
- Domain library service and are distributing the
- original program. To old hands, and newcomers in
- particular, who have a computer with a CDRom drive,
- may I strongly recommend the CD's of PD programs
- and Clip Art that they have produced recently. They
- save an awful lot of that precious space on your
- Hard drive.
-
- ------------------
-
- A reminder for the newcomer to the Acorn scene.
-
- In order to use the data file Newcode95, open up
- the !STDFinder directory, and then open the folder
- called Directorys. Rename the existing file called
- STDcodes to Oldcodes if you want to keep it for a
- while, otherwise delete it. Copy the file Newcode95
- into this directory and then rename it STDcodes.
- Run the program and it should now display the new
- codes when you make a search. If you are using the
- program from Datafile's CDRom, then you will have to
- transfer the program from the CD to your hard disc
- or floppy disc as you cannot change the information
- stored on a CD.
-
- ------------------
- February 1995
-
- Moans, groans and brickbats please to:
-
- Ted Lacey
- 50 Cornwall Raod
- Midanbury
- SOUTHAMPTON
- SO18 2QZ
-
- Telephone No. 01703 325560
-
-