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Text File | 1997-01-04 | 14.5 KB | 305 lines

ABOUT THIS PROGRAM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : ModemDial Version : 2.03 (04 Jan 1997) Purpose : Tone dialling using modem Author : © Andrew Berry, 1997 Licence : Freeware. Please see conditions at the end of this file. ModemDial supports Interactive Help. PURPOSE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This program is designed to dial phone numbers using your modem. This has the following advantages over dialling using the phone’s keypad: • When dialling an unknown number (for instance one looked up in a phone book) you can type the whole number then check that it’s correct before dialling. How many times have you started dialling a number straight from the phone book then lost your place and had to start again? • Whilst most modems support tone dialling, a lot of phones are still in use which are pulse dialling, that is the phone number is dialled using a system of pulses rather than tones, with the result that the number takes a lot longer to dial. If you only have a pulse-dialling phone near your computer then you can use this program to make use of tone-dialling using the modem. • Frequently dialled numbers can be stored so that they don’t need to be typed every time the number is required. Numbers are accessed using a name, so the number need not be remembered at any time. • The withhold code, 141, can be automatically added to the front of all numbers dialled. • Charge advice can be used for all calls, This feature would normally require the # and * buttons which some phones don’t have. USING THE PROGRAM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The program loads to the icon bar in the usual way. The icon bar icon allows you access to windows which will dial a phone number, add a number to the list (a kind of phone book) and set up various configuration options. DIALLING A NUMBER --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The simplest way to use this program is as follows. Click SELECT on the icon to open the main window. This contains a number of icons, most of which can be ignored for the time being. Enter the number to be dialled in the lower writeable icon then press Return or click on ‘Dial’. A window will open showing the number being dialled. You should hear the dialling tone, followed by the number being dialled. Once you hear the ringing tone you should pick up the receiver on your phone and press Space. This will cause the modem to drop the line and you will be able to use the phone exactly as though you had dialled the number on it. You must ensure that you have lifted the receiver on your phone *before* you press Space, otherwise the line will be dropped altogether and you will have to redial. You may notice some feedback between the modem and the phone if the two are close together in the room. For this reason you should always press Space before attempting to speak. Numbers can be entered with spaces to make them easier to read. Any spaces are ignored. WITHHOLD NUMBER --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If this option is selected then the digits 141 will be added to the front of any number dialled. This has the effect of withholding your number, so the recipient of the call has no way of finding your number. DROP LINE AFTER DIALLING --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If this option is selected then the line will be dropped as soon as the number has been dialled. If you use this option then you should pick up the phone before dialling. CHARGE ADVICE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If this is selected then charge advice will be given on the call made. The option causes the string *40*,,,,,, to be added to the front of the number, and # to be added to the end. These strings can be changed from the setup window - see the later section on this for details. THE PHONE BOOK --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frequently dialled numbers can be entered into a list so that they can be dialled without typing the number each time. The list can contain up to 50 entries, each number having an associated name by which it is referred. If the limit of 50 is too low then please let me know - it can easily be changed if necessary. ADDING NUMBERS TO THE LIST --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To add a number to the list select the option ‘Numbers...’ from the icon bar menu. This will open a window with two writeable icons for Name and Number. Each number must be given a unique name. Enter the chosen name into the first writeable icon and press Return. Enter the number into the second icon and press return again or Click on ‘Add number’. This will add the number to the list and re-sort the list into alphabetical order. The icons will be cleared and the caret placed into the first icon ready to enter another name. To save adding all the numbers this way, the ‘Numbers’ file is in CSV format, so names and numbers can be saved out from a database or other package. Each entry should consist of the name in quotes, followed by a comma, followed by the number in quotes, followed by a return character. To open the ‘Numbers’ file click on ‘Open file’ and the file will be Filer_Run, usually causing it to be loaded into your normal text editor. If you have exported the ‘Numbers’ file from a database or have typed the numbers in by hand (ie not using the ‘Add number’ window) then they may not be in alphabetical order. To sort the names click on ‘Sort’. DIALLING A NUMBER FROM THE LIST --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To dial a number which has been added to the list, open the main window as normal. The upper writeable icon is used to enter the unique name. The name can either be typed directly into the icon or can be selected from the names menu. This is opened by clicking on the icon to the right of the name writeable icon. Pressing Return in either writeable icon will dial the number. The six buttons at the bottom of the window, initially blank, can each be assigned a name from the list. To do this click MENU over the button to be changed, move the pointer right over ‘Assign’ and select a name from the names menu. The name will appear in the button, and will stay there until it is removed, including any further times you use the program. To remove a name from a button click MENU over the button and select ‘Remove’. Clicking SELECT on one of the six buttons will enter the name and number into the writeable icons and will dial the number immediately. This has obvious speed advantages over selecting the name from the list and then clicking ‘Dial’. Please note that if a name is removed from the list it will not automatically be removed from any buttons it may be assigned to. This must be done manually at the moment. REMOVING A NUMBER FROM THE LIST --------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the moment there is no easy way to remove a number from the list using the program. An option to do this will be added in a future version. To remove a number from the list you must load the list into a text editor (from within the application directory, or by clicking ‘Open file’ in the ‘Add number’ window) and delete the appropriate lines. The program should be able to cope with blank lines without any problems. OPTIONS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The configuration of the program can be changed by selecting the ‘Setup...’ option from the icon bar menu or from the main window menu. The three choices in the top-left of the Setup window control the default settings for the main window options. If any of the three are selected then they will automatically be turned on in the main window next time the program is loaded. The bottom-left of the window is used for charge advice. The default strings are the ones currently used in the UK. The six commas are required to give the necessary pause before dialling the number. You will see how this works if you try it out. The four choices on the right-hand side are concerned with the modem setup. The driver and port number will need to be changed if you use a serial card. If your exchange doesn’t support tone dialling then you should change the dial prefix from ATDT to ATDP. If you require a prefix digit for an outside line (for instance a 9) then this must currently be added to the *end* of the dial prefix, for instance “ATDT9”. Support for such prefixes will be added in a future version. Clicking on Default will enter the default options. Clicking Cancel will close the window, forgetting any changes made. Clicking Save will close the window, remembering and saving any changes. HISTORY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.00 - 0.06 (incl) : • Pre-release test versions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 (19 Sep 1996) : • First general release --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.01 (20 Sep 1996) : • Spaces are now allowed in phone numbers • Now checks for blank name or number before adding name to the list (‘Add’ window) • Fixed bug with menus in dial window --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.02 (05 Oct 1996) : • Added code to fix the bug where dialling doesn’t work. Thanks to Stuart Halliday for supplying this code - please let me know if there are still any problems. • Added option to drop the line after dialling • The three options in the main window can now be saved • Swapped ‘Numbers...’ and ‘Setup...’ items on icon bar menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.00 (22 Dec 1996) : • Now uses block drivers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.01 (26 Dec 1996) : • Added support for names up to 20 characters • Now loads a new block driver without qutting and restarting • Fixed bug for more than 50 names in file --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.02 (02 Jan 1997) : • Tidied up ready for first release of version 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.03 (04 Jan 1997) : • Now supports serial ports 0-3 • Increased WimpSlot to 48K FOR FUTURE VERSIONS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Add support for Mercury numbers • Multi-task while dialling • Fix bug where pressing space before the number has been dialled allows dialling with no way of stopping it • Add window for removing names from the list. • Update status window as dialling proceeds. • Add a dial prefix (for instance 0 for an outside line). • Auto-answer when charge advice is turned on and the exchange phone you back to tell you how much the call cost. Will answer the phone then hang up when the message has finished. • Automatically prefix numbers with the appropriate digit for internal, external or long distance. • Arrange phone book into sections, for instance for work/friends/family. • Auto-redial if engaged • Add support to produce tones after dialling THANKS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to Rosemary Miskin and many others on csa.programmer for much-needed help with the sort routine. Thanks to the following people for beta-testing and/or offering comments, criticism and general advice: Rob Ives Ray Dawson Christopher Jarman Stuart Halliday Dawie van den Bergh Vincent Lefevre Reuben Thomas Geoff Love Dr A G Gray Frank Ramakers Rene H Turner Brian Carroll Dirk Bollema Alex Howarth Chris Manning Alex Singleton Adrian M. Wall Steve Dawes Jim Nagel Ian Thomas John Hollier Tim Powys-Lybbe Graham M Crow Oliver Cook ...and Gavan Fantom for persuading me to have a go with the block drivers. DISTRIBUTION NOTES --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This program is Freeware, NOT public domain. This means that I retain the copyright but give everyone the right to distribute it by any means, as long as all files are supplied and I am fully credited. If you would like to include this program on a magazine cover disc then please contact me first to obtain the latest version. If you run a PD library and did not obtain this program from me, then you may like to write and I’ll send you the latest versions of all my programs followed by regular updates as they become available. PLEASE NOTE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although this program has been fully tested, I (the author) cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by the use or misuse of this program. It is used entirely at your own risk. CONTACT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please e-mail or write to me at the address below. I would be interested to hear if you have ideas for improving the program or have found any bugs. I can offer limited support *by email* only. If you have any problems using this program please email me and I’ll try and sort it out. The latest versions of my programs are always available from http:/www.aberry.demon.co.uk/programs/ and are accompanied by descriptions and screen shots. For those without internet access, they are also sent first to APDL and The Datafile, or can be obtained by writing to the below address, enclosing either a cheque for £1.00 or a disc and return postage. The file !ModemDial.Docs.Others contains details of my other programs. e-mail: andrew@aberry.demon.co.uk s-mail: Andrew Berry 39 Lancaster Avenue Sandiacre Nottingham NG10 5GW ---------------------------------------------------------------------------