MacWorld Secrets (3rd Edition)/Macworld Bonus CD, 6:96.iso/SECRETS Software Sampler/Phonebook Plus 3.0.4/PhoneBook Plus 3.0.4/PhoneBook Plus 3.0.4.rsrc/TEXT_128_Auto Dial Help.txt

Text File | 1995-10-23 | 5KB | 34 lines

The Dial Setup dialog box lets you specify how auto dialing should be handled. You can dial a number either directly from the edit dialog box or from the main window using the Dial command.  Under System 7, Balloon Help is active for the Dial Setup dialog box.

Choose the type of dialing from the Interface popup menu:  you can use either the Macintosh Speaker, a modem, or the Desktop Dialer‚Ñ¢, an external dialer from Sophisticated Circuits.  If you choose Speaker, you set set the volume used during dialing.

Click Modem Settings to adjust the parameters for your modem.  Click Long Distance to adjust the parameters for long distance calls.

NOTE:  if you are having trouble getting your modem to respond and you KNOW you have selected the right port, there may be a ‘timing problem’ in how Phonebook communicates with your modem.  Click Modem Settings to adjust the timing.

Line Access is the number you must dial to get an ‘outside’ line if you work in an office—usually a ‘9’ if anything at all.  Remember to put a comma after the number if your phone system needs extra time to secure an outside line.

Phonebook can log your calls, giving you a printout of who you called, when, and how long you talked.  Off turns this feature off. All Calls means that all outgoing phone calls (that you dial using Phonebook) will be logged. Outgoing Only means that only outgoing calls will be logged (see below).  Long Distance Only means that only long distance calls will be logged.  Prompt means that you will be asked if you want to log each call. If you select Ask for Code Number, PhoneBook will ask you to type a text code to be recorded along with the call. These codes can use any scheme you desire, and are useful if you charge calls to different accounts or clients. If you click Stop Logs When Phone Hangs Up, Phonebook will automatically stop and save any phone log timers when it senses that the phone has been hung up.  This option is only available if you have selected Desktop Dialer as your dialing mechanism.

If you don't use the auto-dial feature, or you want to log an incoming call, you can do so by selecting the record to log and choosing Start Log from the menu.

If Dial Without Interruption is checked, Phonebook won’t prompt you for long distance account numbers or extension numbers when it dials—it will just use the default numbers you’ve entered.  If you use this feature, be SURE to enter commas and carets (explained below) at appropriate places to create pauses in the dialing sequence.  For example, you should probably enter a few commas before your long distance account number to account for the time it takes to connect to your long distance company.

You can temporarily toggle the Dial Without Interruption setting on a call-by-call basis by holding down the Option key as you dial.

If you click Automatically Hang Up, PhoneBook will automatically hang up the phone after the specified number of seconds.  Otherwise, it will ask you when it is okay to hang up.


You can also control phone dialing by entering codes into the phone number itself. This works for numbers entered as part of records or for numbers entered into any of the Dial Setup dialog boxes. Here are the recognized conventions:

Pound and asterisk characters (# and *) are treated like the corresponding keys on the phone pad.

A comma (,) inserts a two-second pause before continuing with the rest of the number sequence.  A caret (^) inserts a six second pause.

A semicolon (;) causes Phonebook to ignore the rest of the phone number and can be used to enter comments without confusing the dialer.  If you use brackets (as explained below) be sure to put the brackets BEFORE the semicolon.

For phone numbers only, any number in brackets ([ and ]) is interpreted as an extension number and can be used to navigate voice mail systems. After dialing the complete number with account numbers, PhoneBook will prompt you to dial an additional number with this one as the default (Wait of course, for the voice mail system to get ready before clicking OK).

Internal numbers:  if the entire number is enclosed in brackets ([ and ]), Phonebook treats this as an internal number and dials it “as is” without adding the Line Access code or any Long Distance sequences.  This is handy if you want to use Phonebook to dial phone extensions in your office.

If the very first character of your phone number is an at sign (@), Phonebook will automatically turn off the Dial Without Interruption setting for that number.  This is useful if you usually have Dial Without Interruption on, but you have a few numbers that require manual prompting.  This way, you don’t need to remember to hold down the Option key for those special numbers.