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Text File | 1993-11-07 | 34.4 KB | 801 lines

ComLink Terminal Mode - Instructions ------------------------------------ Introduction ============ The ComLink program has a terminal mode which has been designed specifically for packet radio, it allows the user to directly communicate with the TNC (Terminal Node Controller) via the serial port. ComLink can also run special script programs, a separate manual describes this feature, you will find this is the "Script_Man" directory. !ComLink has been carefully written to multi-task effectively. In particular ARM code is used to speed scrolling of received text. !ComLink is compatible with RISCOS version 2 and 3. Terminal mode ============= The terminal mode operates under RISCOS within the desktop environment and is fully multitasking. Facilities incorporated include:- * A split terminal window with separate tx and rx sections. * A configurable number of lines for the rx window. * Auto adjustment of rx line count to optimise memory use. * 1 to 7 lines (user defined) for outgoing text (tx lines). * Full cursor editing of all tx lines. * 50 line scrollback facillity in the tx window. * Edit and re-send of tx lines. * Edit and send of lines from the rx window. * Word/number/callsign 'grab' from the rx window. * Auto-wrap option to automatically insert "Return" on tx. * "Tx + rx" in view or "rx only" on pressing the mouse "Adjust" button. * Auto adjustment Tx line count on pressing the mouse "Adjust" button. * Programmable function keys with save/load/clear options. * On screen "WimpKeys" to run scripts and send commands/text to TNC. * Function/wimp key definitions fully editable within windows. * Automatic control code insertion when editing function/wimp keys. * System variables, such as sys$time, allowed in function/wimp keys. * Mouse/icon based upload/download with simple "file dragging". * Simultaneous file upload, download and rx buffer save. * Optional appending of a fn key definition to end of upload files. * Control code "filter" option on download files. * Save buffer option to save all rx text in the terminal window. * Suspend download option. * Abort upload option. * Append option, allows download data to be appended to existing files. * File dragging to/from other RISCOS applications, eg !Edit. * Data transfer statistics displays showing:- Spool file size. Upload file size. Percent sent. * Connect alert via serial "Ring Indicator" line. * A script can be executed automatically on running !ComLink. * User definable colours for the terminal window. * ARM code for speed and effective multi-tasking * Single line scrolling to give a smoother scroll effect. Getting up and running ====================== ComLink is installed on the icon bar by the usual method of double clicking on the !ComLink icon in the filer window, this will cause the ComLink icon to appear on the icon bar at the bottom of the screen. Note that before you can use this terminal program you may need to change the serial control parameters, these can be viewed and changed with the "Config" option in the menu, this is described below. The keyboard "Scroll Lock" MUST be "off" for recieved text to appear in the terminal window. Click the left (select) mouse button on the !ComLink icon on the icon bar to display the terminal window. This is described later. Click the right (adjust) mouse button on the !ComLink icon on the icon bar to display the wimpkey window. The menu ======== Pressing the mouse menu (middle) button with the pointer over the ComLink icon on the icon bar will pop up a menu with the following options:- Info => WimpKeys => Fn Keys => Script => Config Quit Info ---- Following the Info arrow will pop up the usual "About this program" window. The only useful information here is the version number! WimpKeys -------- Following the arrow will provide the following sub-menu: Display Edit Selection of "Display" will pop up the WimpKey window. Wimpkeys are sort of "on screen" function keys. There are two sets of keys in the window which have different functions these consist of 8 yellow wimpkeys and 8 white ones, there are also some control icons. Selection of "Edit" displays the WimpKey edit window, this allows the action and content of the WimpKeys to be defined. Wimpkeys provide a significant enhancement to the operation of !ComLink, in particular, they make operation on "HF" a doddle! Further details can be found later on in these instructions. Fn Keys ------- Following the "Fn Keys" menu arrow pops up a sub_menu containing the following options: All sets Normal Shift+Fn Ctrl+Fn The "All sets" option pops up 3 stacked windows to allow the editing of the red function (Fn) key definitions. Use the mouse to position the cursor in the window to edit the chosen key. The remaining three options "Normal", "Shift+Fn" and "Ctrl+Fn" allows individual function key edit windows to be popped up. The default key set is saved in the file Fkey within the ComLink application, you may edit this by dragging to !Edit or by saving the new definitions by selecting "Save" in any of the function key windows and then dragging the file. Note the format of the file if you are going to use !Edit:- NFx: means normal fn key x SFx: means shift + fn key x CFx: means control + fn key x Not all the definitions need to be included in the file, in this case only the ones included will be set up. The function key definitions can contain system variables in {} brackets, eg {sys$time}, {sys$date}, {sys$year} etc. Make sure you get the name of the system variable right, otherwise an error will be generated! Control codes are automatically inserted as decimal numbers in [] brackets, when you press the appropriate keys, eg [13] is the code for "Return" and if you press Ctrl+C then [3] will be inserted. !ComLink provides four new system variables:- {real$time} which is a copy of time from the CMOS clock chip and not from the software copy (which runs slow). The time will be in the format "23:15:45". {full$date} the format is "Saturday 25th July 1992", so the {sys$date} and {sys$year} variables can both be replaced by one variable. Further system variables which may be used are provided by the !TimeUtils application within the !Comlink application itself. A help file if included within !TimeUtils, this provides details of the variables and how to customise the time and data formats. When a function key is pressed the system variable will be converted to the appropriate text string. Control codes will show in the tx window in brackets but will be sent correctly to the TNC as the code. !ComLink function key definitions have a special filetype &56D, double clicking these files will automatically load them into ComLink, the key definitions are then available for immediate use. Script ------ Following this menu option leads to a sub-menu containing: Status Run Stop "Status" This option pops up a status window as part of the script facility. This is described in "Script_Man" the script programming manual. "Run" This option runs the default script called "SCRIPT" saved within the !ComLink application. "Stop" Selecting this option, aborts any script that is currently being run. This is described in "Script_Man", the script programming manual. Config ------ Select this option to setup and save the program configuration, the serial parameters must be setup to suit your system. The remaining ones can be set to your own preferences. Changes to these parameters have an immediate effect, excepting the default spool pathname. If you have hardwired RS232 handshaking, leave the XON/XOFF option off. The default spool pathname sets the file path and name that appears in the control panel for spooling. The path you enter here only has an effect when saved and then only when ComLink is next run, thus the only effect is to change the "Config" file in the ComlLink applications directory. This file is always examined by ComLink when it is first run. The program/terminal functions switch on/off 2 options and allows the number of lines in the tx area to be set. Line wrap when "ON" will cause the automatic insertion of "Return"s when a line is typed in the tx area that is longer than 76 characters. The line will be broken at the last space in the line. If there are no spaces in the line then it will be cropped at the 77th character. The characters that are cut off the end are automatically put on the next line. This feature is particularly useful for live QSOs and for short messages to PMSs etc. If you don't want to use this feature the switch the option off. When "OFF" the program will run slightly faster, but you probably won't notice this. The "Connect monitor" when "ON" will cause the ComLink icon to turn amber and generate a beep when a connection is made at your TNC. This function will only work if you have the "Ring Indicator" line at the Archimedes wired to your TNC. If you don't have this connection made then leave this option "OFF". The "Colours" option pops up a palette window and allows the colours used in the terminal window to be defined. Select "Tx fg" etc icon then the chosen colour. Tx and Rx stands for the tx and rx areas respectively, fg and bg stands for foreground and background respectively. When changing the colours, the terminal window will pop up if not already on the screen, this allows the effect of colour changes to be seen immediately. The caret colour is controlled by the wimp software, a red caret can only be obtained on a white background (unless you edit the pallete!). Tx lines sets the number of lines in the tx area of the window. The value can be 1 to 7. Changing the value will only have an effect if you click the mouse "adjust" button once or twice in the terminal window. Rx lines shows the number of lines in the rx window. This cannot be changed when the program is running, it is necessary to edit the file "Config" in the !ComLink application directory. (Change the number after RLINES:) !ComLink optimises the use of memory allocated by the task manager and may allocate more or less than that specified, depending on available memory. Upload append, selects which (if any) function key definition you want appended to the end of upload files. This can be set to "None" or F1 to F11. I normally set it to F11, and make this Fn key into a sign-off line, eg. [13]73's de Alan. Sent on {sys$date} {sys$year} at {sys$time}[13]/ex (Note that a 'return' will automatically be added to the end of the fn key when uploading.) Select "Save" to automatically update the Config file in the Comlink directory. Next time you load ComLink, these parameters will be used. Quit ---- As might be expected, selecting this option quits the program! The Terminal window =================== Selecting the !ComLink icon on the bar pops up the terminal window, this window consists of two areas, received text is displayed in the upper light grey (rx) area, text to be transmitted can be typed into the lower, white (tx) area. The maximum number of lines in the tx area can be chosen using the "Config" option described later. The window colours can be changed via the "Config" menu option. To receive text, you must have the correct serial control parameters setup, these can be changed and saved via the "Config" menu option. Only 'printable' ASCII characters in the range 32 to 127 will be sent to the screen. Linefeed codes (ASCII 10) are ignored. CTRL-G codes (ASCII 7) will cause a beep to sound. Clicking select in the tx area will place the caret (cursor) on the line pointed to by the mouse: this allows lines to be edited in the normal way. You can move up, down and along the lines using the cursor keys. The caret will always be placed at the end of the line when the up/down keys are used. There is a 50 line tx buffer so you can scroll through these lines using the cursor keys. These will scroll the window one line at a time. The 'Page Up/Down' keys scroll the complete tx/rx window 'n' lines at a time, where 'n' is the number of lines in the window. When lines are typed in, the text is not sent until you press "Return", the exception to this is the control codes which are immediately sent. This allows Ctrl+C etc to be typed. If the caret is on the bottom line the lines in the tx window will scroll up and the line will be cleared. Using "Shift+Return" will prevent the next line in the buffer from being cleared, this allows you to scroll back over the tx lines and re-send them without lines getting cleared. Pressing the mouse 'menu' button with the pointer over the terminal window causes the Spool Control Panel to appear, this is described later. Pressing "Shift and the mouse 'menu' button with the pointer over the terminal window causes the main menu to be popped up. The Quit option will be shaded to prevent accidentally quitting. Files for upload may be dragged to the window or the ComLink icon and will be sent to the TNC, a status window will pop up automatically to allow the file to be sent/aborted and progress to be monitored . To start upload you must click one of the "Send" icons. The scroll bars may be used in the normal way to position the "viewing area". The mouse adjust (right) button performs a number of functions when the pointer is over the terminal window:- - It scrolls the screen to alternately show tx+rx sections of the window or only the rx section, at each click. - It automatically resizes the tx area according to the height of the window. (If you don't like this feature, then just use the scroll bars!) These features are particularly useful when the window has been resized, since you can quickly click adjust to see the tx area again, or if you only want to "Monitor" then you can easily display the rx area only. Double clicking the select (left) mouse button in the grey area of the window will grab a word from the rx area and place it in the 'selected' (green) wimpkey. The original wimpkey label can be restored either by using the 'RST' icon or by cycling up and down the keyset count. A 'click and hold' or 'click and drag' of the select (left) mouse button in the rx window will, after a brief delay, grab a line and place it on the lowest line in the tx window. The line can then be editted as normal and sent. Scrolling in the terminal window can be stopped by pressing and holding the Ctrl+Shift keys together. Scrolling will also stop if "Scroll Lock" is "on", watch out for this and don't leave it on accidentally or you may think !ComLink has 'hung up'! Pressing Ctrl+Esc sends a break signal to the TNC but only if the terminal window has the input focus, this will get the TNC out of transparent mode. Spool Control Panel =================== This window is popped up by pressing the mouse menu button over the terminal window. The definition of 'spooling' here is the saving of all received data. Click OK to start spooling or drag the file icon to a filer window. You can of course edit the file name/path if you want. As usual if you drag the file icon to a window then the file path will be updated. You also have the following options to select, "Filter on", "Save buffer", "Suspend" and "Append". The file name/path that appears as the default can be changed using the menu "Config" option. As supplied the default is "RAM:$.Spool", of course the RAM drive must be active to use it. When the "Filter on" option is selected, the usual text file type icon is shown and control codes are removed from the incoming data. All carraige return codes are converted to linefeeds to be compatible with !Edit. Any line feeds received are left in. With the filter option "OFF" the file icon in the window changes to a data type. Now all characters received will be spooled to the file, none are changed or removed. Thus if you are transferring data such as non-coded programs, leave this option "OFF". If the filter option is changed while a spool is in progress, the icon in the window will change type, but the actual file that is being spooled to will not have it's icon type changed. The filter option will however affect the data saved. The "Save buffer" option can only be selected before a spool starts and will cause all text in the rx area to be saved to the spool file first, then all subsequently received data. This option is handy when reading messages and you suddenly decide you'd like to keep the text, but some of it has already been printed on screen. When a spooling operation is stopped, ie the file is closed, then this option will automatically be turned off. The "Suspend" option can be used to temporarily stop the received text/data from being spooled to a file, the file remains open though. This option will automatically be switched off when the spool file is closed. The "Append" option allows the received text/data to be appended to the end of an existing file. Unless this option is switched "ON" ComLink will not let you spool to an existing file. If the "append" option is "ON" and the file does not exist then an empty file will be created. The size of the spool file is shown in the control window, this is updated by ComLink as the file grows. If the append option is "ON" the size of the whole file will be shown and not just the received character count. If the "Save buffer" option was "ON" then the file size includes the buffer. To start a spool operation, make sure the filepath/name is as desired, then either drag the icon to a directory window or click on "OK", the OK will then change to "Close". Dragging the file to a filer window will cause the file path to be updated appropriately. While spooling to a text file, the file is kept open by ComLink and will appear as a "text" type icon but with a red pen, it cannot be loaded into a text editor until the spool file is closed. If you are spooling this means that to examine the file with !Edit you have to "Close" the file first. One way of preventing any text received from being missed from the file, yet still enable to see the text spooled so far, is to hold down Shift+Control and while keeping these keys down, perform the following :- Click on "Close" hence closing the file Drag the appropriate file to !Edit Enabling spooling again by clicking "OK". This works because while Shift+Ctrl are held down, no characters will be fetched from the serial port, hence none will be missed out in the spool file. To end spooling, click on "Close". The file icon in the spool window can be dragged directly to an application such as !Edit: this may be done without affecting spooling. The data transferred will be the contents of the rx window. This type of operation can be useful for "look what I've just recieved" type QSOs, since sections of the text can be selected within !Edit and the "Select/Save" menu options used to transfer the data back to the terminal window for sending. If only a few of the received lines are to be sent you can use the 'line grab' facility in the rx window, just click and hold the mouse select button on the line to be sent, this will appear in the tx window and may be editted/sent. Uploading files =============== To send a text or data file, all you need to do is drag the file to the terminal window or to the ComLink icon on the bar. This will cause a small window to be popped up showing the filename (but not the path), the size of the file and the percentage sent. The upload can be aborted or started by clicking on "Abort" or "Send" or "Send+Fkey" as appropriate. The percent sent will be updated as the upload progresses. If "Send+Fkey" is selected then at the end of the upload, the chosen function key definition will be sent. This is handy when sending files to a BBS/PMS as you can put a sign off message in one of the function keys. You can drag files directly from other applications such as !Edit, but a maximum of 8Kbytes can be transferred in this way. If the file is longer, only the first 8Kbytes will be sent. Files dragged from filing systems, RAM disc, floppy disc etc can be of any length. Note that if you have accidentally dragged the wrong file for upload, you don't have to abort it, just drag the correct one over and the file details will be updated. Note also that when you have dragged the file, you must click on "Send" to start the upload. A file upload can be aborted at any time. If a file upload is started and aborted before it has been completely sent, the function key definition will still be sent. WIMPKEYS ======== A wimpkey window can be popped up on the screen, either by clicking the right (adjust) mouse button on the !ComLink icon on the icon bar, or by selecting the WimpKeys 'Display' option in the menu. The terminal window is of course popped up by clicking the left (select) mouse button on the !ComLink icon on the icon bar. (The menu option to display the Terminal window has been removed!) The wimpkey window will be conveniently positioned if you first open the terminal window and then the wimpkey window. The wimpkey window can be moved around the screen as desired, or pushed partially off screen. In mode 12, not all of the Wimpkey window will be visible, it is best to use the mode 86 or mode 90 application provided to obtain a slightly wider screen. Indeed this is sensible anyway to be able to get an 80 column wide window. Wimpkeys are sort of "on screen" function keys. There are two sets of keys in the window which have different functions these consist of 8 yellow wimpkeys and 8 white ones, there are also some control icons. Wimpkeys provide a significant enhancement to the operation of !ComLink, in particular, they make operation on "HF" a doddle! When first run !ComLink loads the WimpKey definitions from the 'WimpKeys' directory within !ComLink. It will look for files with names in the range 1 to 8. The WimpKey 'definitions' are stored in program memory for quick access to each set without disc access being required. Each yellow WimpKey can:- - Send up to 128 characters to the TNC (stored in program memory) - Run a script - Send a file to the TNC Read these instructions and then to have a fuller appreciation of the possibilities, have a play! Icon functions -------------- The text on any key can be up to 9 characters, and is specified in scripts using the command "WKEY:". Up to 8 sets of keys can be defined. The orange (or is it amber!) numbered icon allows a number of keys sets to be cycled through. The number will increment each time the icon is clicked with 'select' and decrements when clicked with 'Adjust'. The directory icon, opens the "WimpKey" directory that holds the scripts/files used. This allows easy access for examination and modification. Up to 8 basic sets of yellow keys can be set up. The scripts that define the labels in the keys are found in the "WimpKey" directory within !ComLink, they can have filenames "1" to "8". Not all these need be present, if only "1","2" and "3" are present, then only 3 sets will be available. Yellow wimpkey operation ------------------------ The yellow keys, when clicked (selected), can either cause a script to run, or cause some text or a file to be sent to the TNC directly. The WimpKey definitions can be modifed and saved by using the edit window, this can be popped up using the "Wkey Def" menu option or by clicking the "Menu" button with the pointer over the WimpKey window. Wimpkey scripts tend to be very simple, often only containing text to be sent to the TNC. Have a look at the script called "1" in the "Wimpkeys" directory within !ComLink to see the how the key definitions are done. White wimpkey operation ----------------------- The white wimpkeys have a different type of function. The label text may be set within scripts in exactly the same way as the yellow ones. The keys are numbered 11 to 18 from left to right. This means that the white wimpkey 11 is below yellow key 1, 12 is below 2, 13 is below 3, etc. The white keys ONLY set string system variables which may be used in scripts. (Further details follow later) When "clicked" with the left (select) mouse button one of the keys will be highlighted as "green". When "clicked" with the right (adjust) mouse button, the key will gain the caret and the text may be editted. Pressing "Return" or "clicking" the icon will return the icon to it's original state (green or white). If the !ComLink terminal window is displayed at the time "Return" is pressed, it will automatically gain the caret. White wimpkeys - system variable "wkey$var" ------------------------------------------- If you are familiar with scripts or the function key facilities of !ComLink, then you may have used system variables such as "sys$time", "sys$date" etc. !ComLink places the label text in each white wimpkey into a system variable that may be used in scripts or in function keys. ComLink puts the label text of the wimpkey that is set "green" into system variable "wkey$var". "So what!", you may say, well read on and the significance will become apparent! This facility is used in wimpkey set "2", provided with the application. The white wimpkeys are set to the letters A - H. Selecting one of them, and the clicking the "Stream" yellow wimpkey will result in the selected letter being used to select the TNC stream, you will see the stream switch sequence appear in the tx window. As another example of use is given in set 3, a callsign can be selected and then the "Connect" wimpkey pressed. Assume that the white wimpkeys are set to:- G3TKF G4HWT G6DEN .... Now, if the white wimpkey G6DEN is selected and goes green, then if the yellow key "Connect" is clicked, then the text "C G6DEN" will be sent to the TNC. Thus we have a means of selecting a callsign, and then connecting with just the click of two wimpkeys! Another yellow wimpkey is set to "Connect-2". Now, using the same technique of selecting a callsign, and clicking the "Connect-2" yellow key, the text "C G6DEN-2" is sent to the TNC. The above is illustrated in wimpkey set 3 provided with the application. Edit wimpkey set 3 to set your local callsign contacts. Using the mouse right (adjust) button on the white key allows the text to be changed as mentioned previously. Though of course it may subsequently get overwritten as you cycle throgh the key sets. If you dont want a particular white key definition to get changed in this way, leave it out of all the key set scripts! Using the 'select' mouse button over the rx window allows words, callsigns or numbers to be grabbed and inserted into the selected (green) wimpkey. This allows, for instance, the "Connect" callsign to be selected, of message numbers to be selected for reading/killing. Play with WimpKey set 5 provided to see the possiblities! Nb. The grabbed text will be overwritten as you cycle throgh the key sets. White wimpkeys - system variable "wkey$1" to "wkey$8" ----------------------------------------------------- The label text in all the 8 white wimpkeys is also put into 8 system variables "wkey$1" to "wkey$8". These may also be used in scripts. This function is provided primarily for HF users. Thus the first white wimpkey may be editted with the right mouse button to read as a trucated callsign, say "GTKF" and the second to read "G3TKF". Then the wimpkey system variables, wkey$1 and wkey$2 can be used in the scripts as appropriate. Further insructions on HF operation are provided in text file "HF_instr". WimpKey Edit window =================== Clicking 'menu' over the WimpKey panel or selecting the WimpKeys 'Edit' option in the main menu pops up the wimpkey edit panel. The key 'type' can be changed from 'None' to 'File' to 'Script' to 'Text'. The label can be different from the text/file name definition. Control codes and system variables can be included in the text definitions. The 'Yellow keys' button swops to the 'White keys' as desired to allow these to be viewed/altered. The 'Use' button makes !ComLink use any changes you have made, without saving the new definitions to disc. The 'Save' button..... saves the new definitions to disc and also makes !ComLink use the new definitions. The 'Clear' button clears the definitions on view, without the results taking effect, the old definitions can be recovered using the 'Restore' button. After a 'Save' or 'Use' the old definitions can not be restored! If you type in a label for a 'File'/'Script'/'Text' type key but not the definition and then press 'Use' and 'Restore', then the definition field will be filled in for you using the label as the file name/text. Text string must end in [13] to be sent. Just pressing any control sequence eg 'Return' key will enter the code in the definition string. Clicking 'Select' on the WimpKey Set increments the set number, clicking 'Adjust' decrements it. WimpKeys - advanced features ============================ An advanced feature of WimpKeys, is that any script can actually redefine one or more of the keys. Thus one wimpkey can run a script which results in some or all of the wimpkeys to be redefined! This is particularly useful for more complex TNC operations such as HF use, where a wimpkey "AMTOR", could define a different key set to say a "RTTY" wimpkey. The same method can be used to set up a key to form a toggle action which say alternates between "MON_ON" and "MON_OFF". The operating system string comparison and evaluation operators:- if .... then ..... seteval .......... may be used to good effect in scripts, examples are provided in wimpkey set 4, provided with the application. These examples are relatively benign, and you can experiment with them without upsetting your TNC. Wimpkeys RST function ===================== Of course, the flexibility of wimpkeys has a price to be paid, it is possible to get in a right pickle, and not be able to get the basic keys back to there original definition for that key set, this is where the red "RST" key comes in handy! !WimpKeys application ===================== The scripts that are run when a wimpkey is clicked can reside either in the "WimpKeys" directory in !ComLink, or within the !WimpKey application directory. The scripts must be available to !ComLink at all times since they are read directly from disc each time they are used. This may be inconvenient to floppy users since it means that the !ComLink disc will have to be in the drive. The !Wimpkeys application gets around this problem and allows the key sets to be kept in a RAM drive, thus disc swopping can be avoided. To make !ComLink use the scripts in the !WimpKey application, first run !ComLink, then copy the !WimpKeys application into a RAM drive (minimum size is about 48K). Double click the !WimpKey application and from that point onwards !ComLink will use the scripts from the RAM drive. Hard disc users will find no significant advantage in using the !WimpKeys application. General hints and tips. ======================= The use of {} and [] brackets ----------------------------- The {} and [] brackets have a special meaning to ComLink when typed in or used in function key definitions. This provides a very flexible way of handling system variables and control codes, yet otherwise hardly limits their normal use as ordinary characters (This was not true for versions of ComLink prior to 3.01.). The {} brackets can be used to contain contain system variables and ComLink will expand them for you, if the variable does not exist then an "Unknown operand error at line xxxxx" error message will be generated. However you can use the brackets IF THEY DO NOT INCLUDE A $ SIGN, without an error being generated, in this case the text will be sent as typed. Examples:- {sys$time} - this is a standard system variable so will be converted to the time eg "12:18:02" {abc$xyz} - this is very likely to cause an error! {hello there} - this will be sent as typed, eg "{hello there}" The [] brackets are used to send control codes or characters in the range 0 to 255. ComLink tries to act intelligently, so if the contents of the [] brackets is longer than 3 characters it will NOT try to convert it into a control code! This means that the standard ID's can be typed which identify TNC types eg [YFB-3.42-BHR$] etc. Furthermore {}/[] brackets MUST occur in pairs to be expanded from the system variable/converted to a control code, as soon as an "odd" bracket is found ComLink will stop trying to interpret the rest of the line. All this means is that you can use the brackets normally in most cases without getting odd effects. Executing a script on application startup ========================================= If a script with filename "0" exists in the 'WimpKeys' directory within the !ComLink application, then it will be executed each time !Comlink is run. This is a simple and handy way of configuring your TNC ready for communication. You can examine the script with !Edit and alter it as required. General tips ============ A useful control code to remember is Ctrl V, which can be used to set multiple line parameters on the TNC. To insert it in a line you must type it as [22]. Pressing Ctrl+Shift together will halt the scrolling in the terminal window. The contents of the rx area can be saved directly to !Edit at any time by dragging the file icon in the "Spool Control Panel" to the !Edit icon. Don't forget that full cursor editing can be performed in the tx area, this is very handy if you want to send the last line typed again, just tap the "up" cursor control arrow (or is it a caret control arrow on the Arc.!) and then hit "Return". Ctrl+U clears a line. ComLink incorporates an advanced script language making it relatively easy to write routines to perform tasks like automatic logon and download of mail and messages from a BBS or PMS. For more information read the manual called "Script_Man"