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The Dialer (TM) Version 2.1 GRH Software 6266 Scotthille S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49546-9608 (c) Copyright 1993 by Gary Heitz All Rights Reserved Table of Contents ================= Heading Page ======= ==== Shareware 3 Disclaimer 3 Features 4 Revisions to The Dialer 2.0 4 Requirements 5 Shareware vs Registered Versions 5 Distribution Files List 5 Getting Started 6 Manually Dial a Number 8 Add to The Dialer's List 9 Edit an Entry 10 Delete from the List 11 Configure The Dialer 11 Placing a Call 13 Order Form 16 -2- SHAREWARE ========= The Dialer, copyright 1993, is the property of Gary Heitz. It is shareware and it is NOT in the public domain. As a non-registered user, you are granted a limited license to use only the shareware version of The Dialer on a trial basis to decide if it meets your needs. However, if you use The Dialer for more than thirty days, you are trusted to register the program. Copies of the shareware version, along with all of its support files may be copied and distributed freely. Registered versions of The Dialer may not be copied for any person other than the registered owner under any circumstances. DISCLAIMER ========== THIS PRODUCT, ALONG WITH ITS RELATED FILES, IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ANY LOSS INCURRED FROM THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER. IF THE PROGRAM SHOULD PROVE TO BE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ANY AND ALL LOSSES. -3- Features ======== o Dials the telephone as easily as pressing one key o Maintains a telephone book that includes names, numbers, and personalized descriptions o Has a log that keeps track of whom you called, when, and how long you talked o Easy access to the log o A call timer that shows the length of the call. o Instant redialing of busy numbers o Full editing capabilities of the telephone book o Options for adding and deleting telephone numbers o Ability to dial a number that is not in the list o Easy set up o Ability to make the sounds of a telephone key press for those times you need to direct a call to a specific person or department o Tone or pulse dialing o Mouse support o COM 1 or COM 2 supported Revisions to The Dialer 2.0 =========================== o The Dialer 2.1 will now work with very old IBM machines. o Revised to work with all versions of DOS's "TYPE" command. o Fixes a bug in the log file that would hide the first entry. o Fixes a bug in the modem initialization process. -4- Requirements ============ Modem Must be Hayes compatible Files SORT.EXE and COMMAND.COM must be somewhere on the DOS path. Monitor a color monitor is not necessary but is recommended Shareware vs. Registered Versions ================================= The shareware version of The Dialer has a couple of "extras" that the registered version does not have. The shareware version has an initial shareware screen that asks you to register your copy of The Dialer. It also has a message that does the same when you exit back to the DOS prompt. Neither of these is present in the registered version. In fact, on the registered version, when you are finished, the screen blanks before going to the DOS prompt. Both the shareware versions and the registered versions are identical in all other features. Distribution Files List ======================= The following files must be included on your disk: DIALER21.BSV DIALER21.DOC DIALER21.EXE ORDER.FRM -5- Getting Started =============== The files that come with The Dialer must all be copied into one directory. It doesn't matter which directory you choose - just so that all of the files are kept together. To run The Dialer, simply go to the proper directory that contains The Dialer's files and type DIALER21. A configuration file will be created the first time you start the program. See the section titled "Configure The Dialer" in this documentation for a complete description of the configuration process. After configuring The Dialer, you'll see the shareware screen (See figure 1). This screen will be visible for a few seconds or you can continue by pressing ENTER, SPACE BAR or the ESC key. Press the "R" key to enter your registration number and code to become a registered user. You acquire these numbers from the author. This screen will be omitted once your copy of the program is registered. --------------------| The Dialer |--------------------- | | | Version 2.1 Copyright 1993 by Gary Heitz | | | | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | | | | The Dialer is shareware. It is not free. You | | may evaluate it for 30 days. If you like The | | Dialer, please take part in its development by | | registering it with the author. Use the order | | form on the original disk or send $25.00 to: | | | | | | GRH Software | | 6266 Scotthille S.E. | | Grand Rapids, MI 49546-9608 | | | | | ------| Press ESC to continue or R to register. |------ Figure 1 -6- ---------------------------------------- | ENTER=dial F1=options ESC=done | Version 2.1 |--------------------------------------| (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz | Ada Township | UNREGISTERED USER | Better Business Bureau | Please register. | Car Parts Supplier | | Family Doctor | | GRH Software | | Hospital Emergency Room | | Immediate Care Center | | Lotto 47 Numbers | | Mail Order Software Company | | Manufacturing World | ---------- Total entries: 212 ---------- Township Offices Figure 2 Next, you will see the main screen (See figure 2). This screen has the title across the top, a copyright notice on the middle right, and the telephone book window on the left. The top of the telephone book's window explains how to navigate around in the telephone book. It says "ENTER=dial F1=options ESC=done." To dial a number, use the arrow keys to highlight the person's name that you want to call and then press the ENTER key. You can quickly find the person's name by typing the first letter of their name. The Dialer will jump to the first person in your list that has that letter at the start of their name. You can use the Page Up and Page Down keys to view the next screen full of names. The End and Home keys will move to the last group of names in the telephone book or to the names at the top of the list, respectively. If you are using a mouse, you move the mouse in the direction that you want the highlight bar to move. Then, you press the left mouse button to dial the person's name that is highlighted. Pressing the F1 key will pop open a window on the lower right portion of the screen (See figure 3). Five options will be displayed in this window. To make a selection, simply highlight the desired option and press either ENTER or the left mouse button. To -7- abort and return to the main screen, press ESC or the right mouse button. You may press the ESC key on your keyboard, or the right mouse button, to end using The Dialer and return to the DOS prompt. ---------------------------------------- | ENTER=dial F1=options ESC=done | Version 2.1 |--------------------------------------| (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz | Ada Township | UNREGISTERED USER | Better Business Bureau | Please register. | Car Parts Supplier | | Family Doctor | | GRH Software | | Hospital Emergency Room | ---| ENTER=pick ESC=back |-- | Immediate Care Center | | Manually dial a number | | Lotto 47 Numbers | | Add to The Dialer's list | | Mail Order Software Company | | Edit an entry | | Manufacturing World | | Delete an entry | ---------- Total entries: 212 ---------- | Configure The Dialer | | View The Dialer's log | ----------------------------- Figure 3 Manually dial a number ====================== Option one is "Manually dial a number." Use this option when you want to dial a number that is not in The Dialer's telephone book and you do not want it added therein (See figure 4). I think it would be easier to just dial the phone yourself but this option was included just to help make The Dialer more complete. Using this option will record the number you dialed in the log file that was mentioned earlier, though. -8- ---------------------------------------- | ENTER=dial F1=options ESC=done | Version 2.1 |--------------------------------------| (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz | Ada Township | UNREGISTERED USER | Better Business Bureau | Please register. | Car Parts Supplier | | Family Doctor | | GRH Software | | Hospital Emergency Room | --------| Manual Dialing |--------- | Immediate Care Center | |Type #, Use ~ to pause 2 seconds | | Lotto 47 Numbers | |_ | | Mail Order Software Company | ----------------------------------- | Manufacturing World | ---------- Total entries: 212 ---------- Figure 4 Add to The Dialer's list ======================== The second option will add a name, description, and a telephone number into the phone book. When you select this option, a new window will open where you'll enter three bits of information. First, type the name of the person or company you want to add to the telephone book. This name can have a maximum of thirty-six characters. Next, you may type a note, or description, of up to forty-four characters. This note could be an address, an account number, or even a credit card number. The last entry line is for the number to be dialed. The number may be as long as thirty-three characters. The valid characters to enter for the phone number are the numbers zero through nine. The separators (, ), and - may also be used but are ignored by The Dialer. Another special character that may be used is ~. What this tells The Dialer to do is pause for two seconds when it dials the telephone. For example, if you typed the number to dial as 555-5555~~~8. The Dialer would dial 5555555, pause for six seconds, and then dial the 8. To finish typing the new entry, press the F1 key. The entry will be added to the telephone book and arranged in alphabetical order. You'll then be returned to the main screen where you can make a call or use any of the other options again. A maximum of three hundred entries may be stored in the telephone book. -9- Version 2.1 (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz UNREGISTERED USER Please register. ------------- Add to The Dialer's list -------------- | | | Name: | | | | Note: | | | | Number: | | | ---------------- F1=Save ESC=Abort ----------------- Figure 5 Edit an entry ============= This option requires that you highlight the name to be edited before making this choice. To do this, go back to the main screen and move the highlight bar to the name in the telephone book that you wish to edit. Then, press the F1 key for the options menu. Lastly, choose the "Edit an entry" option. You will then see the name, description and phone number of the entry that you chose (See figure 6). You will be allowed to edit any part of this entry. When you are through editing, you can exit by pressing the ESC key or the F1 key. Pressing the ESC key will abort all of the changes and return you to the main screen. Using the F1 key will save the new information and alphabetize the list. You'll then be returned to the main menu. -10- Version 2.1 (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz UNREGISTERED USER Please register. ------------------- Edit an entry ------------------- | | | Name:GRH Software | | | | Note:6266 Scotthille SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546 | | | | Number:1-616-676-2270 | | | ---------------- F1=Save ESC=Abort ----------------- Figure 6 Delete from the list ==================== If you choose this option, a window will appear on the left that looks very much like the telephone book. This time it is red to warn you to be careful. Use your mouse or the keyboard's arrow keys to highlight the name you want to erase. Press ESC, or the right mouse button, if you change your mind and decide not to delete anything. Also, press ESC when you are done with your deletions. Press the F10 key or the left mouse button to delete the entry that is currently highlighted. Be careful because there are no second chances here. Configure The Dialer ==================== You used this option the very first time you ran The Dialer. To review, you're asked for the COM port of your modem. You may choose either a one or a two here. If you are not sure which port your modem is connected to, enter the number one. This will at least get you started with The Dialer. If you later receive a message that says that the modem does not respond to any commands, you probably need to change this option to the number two. -11- Next, you must enter the preferred baud rate of your modem. The baud rate that you choose is not important to the call that you make but is very important for The Dialer. Your modem must communicate at the baud rate that you select or The Dialer will not be able to work with the modem. Check the owner's manual that came with your modem for this information. It will probably be capable of several baud rates. Choose any one of those listed in the owner's manual and enter that number in the second option of the configuration menu. If you can't locate this information, try three hundred. Most modems can communicate at this baud rate. The third question you'll be asked in the configuration process is whether your phone line can use pulse dialing or tone dialing. If you're unsure, choose tone dialing. The reason for this is that more and more companies use tone impulses to route your call to the proper department. Some companies only need to hear your tones to complete an order that you want to make. The last question to answer in the configuration process is for the name of your favorite file viewer. Your DOS disk comes with the file named TYPE. This makes an adequate file viewer. There are many file viewers available for downloading from many BBS's. It doesn't matter which one you like best, just so that it can display a plain text file. This file viewer must be somewhere on the DOS path. If The Dialer or DOS cannot find the viewer that you specify, an error will occur. The viewer is used to display the contents of the log file that is updated after each completed call. You need to type in only the first eight letters of the viewer's filename. You don't need to type in the filename's extension. -12- ---------------------------------------------- | Configure The Dialer | |--------------------------------------------| | | | What COM port does your modem use? 1 | | | | What baud rate do you want to use? 300 | | | | Do you prefer Pulse or Tone dialing? T | | | | What is the name of the file viewer you | | normally use? TYPE | | | ---------------------------------------------- Figure 7 Placing a call ============== To place a call from the telephone book, move the highlight bar to the name of the person you want to call and then press the ENTER key (or the left mouse button). The telephone book's window allows for ten names to be examined at once. You may scroll up and down to view the entire book if you have added more than ten names. Also, you may type the first letter of the name that you want to call. The highlight bar will whisk you to that name. You can also use the Page Up and Page Down keys to move up or down the list by one full window of names. Furthermore, if you use the Home key, the highlight bar will move to the first name if the telephone book. You can use the End key to instantly move to the last group of names in the list. Once you have selected the person to call, two status bars will appear at the bottom of the screen (See figure 8). The top line shows the description that you gave for this person when you originally added the number to the phone book. The contents of the lower status line vary as the call is processed. Basically, the bottom line will tell you what The Dialer is doing and give you a few instructions to follow. If The Dialer receives a busy signal or if there is no answer, the call will be dialed again. The number of dialing tries will be displayed in a small status window on the -13- lower right of the screen. The call may be aborted by pressing the ESC key. Once the telephone is picked up by the person that you are calling, take your phone off the hook and begin talking. Press the ENTER key now to start the call timer. This will also cause the modem to hang up which will allow for clearer reception. The call timer is very useful if you want to keep track of how long you spend talking to certain clients or how much time you spend making long distance calls. The bottom status bar will clear and display the call timer on the left. Next to that is a reminder for you to press the ESC key when you're done with your call. The third part of the status bar shows the current date. Lastly, a clock that displays the present time will be in the lower right corner of the screen. The call timer and the clock will be continuously updated while the call is in progress. ---------------------------------------- | ENTER=dial F1=options ESC=done | Version 2.1 |--------------------------------------| (C) 1993 by Gary Heitz | Ada Township | UNREGISTERED USER | Better Business Bureau | Please register. | Car Parts Supplier | | Family Doctor | | GRH Software | | Hospital Emergency Room | --------------------- | Immediate Care Center | | Dialing from list | | Lotto 47 Numbers | | 676-2270 | | Mail Order Software Company | | Try #1 | | Manufacturing World | --------------------- ---------- Total entries: 212 ---------- 6266 Scotthille SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Call timer: OO:15:12 | ESC when done | April 18, 1993 | Time: 7:OO:OO pm Figure 8 The small status window on the lower right shows whether you had manually entering the telephone number or if you had used the telephone book's list. Under that is the number that was dialed. -14- The bottom of this window shows the number of dialing attempts that were made. That's about it. I hope you find The Dialer useful and will take the time to register your copy. If you have any ideas, comments, or suggestions, please let me know at the address below. All comments are welcome. GRH Software 6266 Scotthille S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49546-9608 Or, use The Dialer to phone: (616) 676-2270 Or, you may leave E-mail at: 75676,556 on CompuServe G.HEITZ on GEnie GHEITZ on America Online -15- THE DIALER ORDER FORM Make checks payable to GRH Software Version 2.1 PLEASE PRINT! ------------- Name _________________________________________________________________ Company ______________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ________ ZIP ______________ Country (if outside USA) _____________________________________________ Check the type of registration you prefer. [ ] $25.00 to register The Dialer [ ] $30.00 to register The Dialer and get your next upgrade free. [ ] Site registration (multiple copies used at one location) _____ copies x $15.00 = ______ * All prices are in U.S.currency. Please circle the type of disk that you prefer. 3 1/2" 5 1/4" Mail this completed form with your check to: GRH SOFTWARE 6266 SCOTTHILLE SE GRAND RAPIDS MI 49546-9608 -16-