The Stream window menu

Each stream window has a menu attached to it. The facilities provided by the stream window menu are as outlined below, starting with the operation of the Stream x‘ submenu.

Saving stream data

You may save the text from a stream at any time. Follow the arrow off the Stream->Save submenu to reveal a popup save box. The save icon may be dragged to a filer window in the usual manner.

Saving from a stream

You may also drag a filer icon onto the save box to set the destination in the reverse sense. To do this though, you must click on the save entry rather than follow the arrow to the save box, as otherwise the save box would vanish as soon as you clicked outside it. If the filer icon you drag to the save box is a file, its full name will be copied to the filename entry. Click on OK to save to that file. If the filer icon is a directory, the path to the directory will be entered in the save box, replacing any previous path.

If the selected destination file already existed you will be warned, and given the option to overwrite, append or cancel.

Three different save formats are allowed:

Processed
This saves normal ascii text, stripping control codes and using LF at the end of each line, replacing whichever end of line sequence your tnc uses.
Raw
Saves the raw data, as received from the tnc.
Streamer
Saves the stream data in Streamer format, preserving TX data / RX data identification. Streamer data files may be re-loaded into Streamer for later viewing.
With Processed and Raw formats you have the option of saving the TX data as well as the RX data. Both TX and RX data are saved automatically (and distinctly) in Streamer format files.

Spooling stream data

You may save to a spool file using the Stream->Spool submenu, as described above for Stream->Save. When a spool is started, no data will be sent to the file until new data are received from the tnc. As data are received, they are buffered and sent to the file when appropriate. Between file operations the file is closed. This means that even whilst still spooling you may load the spool file into a text editor, etc, for examination. If you want to stop spooling click on the cancel button in the spool save box.

Saving to a buffer

Streamer uses a system of internal buffers, held in memory, for uploading blocks of data to the tnc. It is possible to save data to a buffer rather to a file. This is done with the Stream->To buffer submenu. The Resulting dialogue box gives a choice of format similar to that for saving to a file. In this case you may choose from either ascii or raw data, with or without the TX data.

Saving to a buffer

Clearing all data from a stream

To delete the whole contents of a stream choose Stream->Clear. Be warned that this cannot be undone. If a new view or Streamer file view window is cleared the window itself will be removed from the list of active windows. In the case of a new view, you may create another new view; the parent stream window is unaffected. Clearing a Streamer file view window does not affect the file on disc.

Client submenu

This submenu can have different functions depending of the type of window. For tnc stream windows it governs the changing of tnc mode. You may select cmd:, conv or trans mode. Also there is an entry to select / deselect automatic mode changing.

Changing mode

Operations on selected text

You may select text from a stream window using the adjust key. Only complete lines may be selected. Facilities for saving selected text to a buffer or a file are available from the Select submenu. The saving procedure and available options are as for saving the whole stream. You may also clear the selection (Unselect) or delete it (Remove). There is just one selection per stream. Selections made in a parent stream will appear identically in new views, and vice versa.

The Select menu

Operations on buffers

Text from a stream may be saved to a buffer in memory. Also, when a file other than a Streamer data file is dropped onto Streamer it will be copied to a buffer, ready for uploading. Operations on buffers are provided through the Buffers entry on any stream window. This will pop up the Buffers window, shows the name, size and upload status of all the loaded buffers in a scrollable pane. To upload a buffer to a tnc stream first click on its entry to select it. Choose a stream from the popup menu next to the Upload button. This sets the destination for the next buffer to be uploaded. Initiate the upload by clicking on Upload. If Streamer is busy uploading a buffer already your upload request will be queued. To remove the selected buffer click on Remove buffer. To stop a buffer from being uploaded if it is in the queue, select it and click Cancel. Cancel all cancels all queued uploads. To abort the current upload use Abort. Pause pauses the current upload. The button will then change to Resume. Unless you want to upload a buffer more than once you should select Remove after upload.

Miscellaneous operations

The Misc submenu provides access to two more setup areas. These are Highlight... and Fn keys.... There is also a Send break entry. This sends a break signal to the tnc. The duration of the break signal is set in the terminal setup area.

The Misc. menu

Highlight...

Streamer provides a mechanism by which words of interest in the output area of a stream window may be highlighted. The highlighting colour is set in the colours setup. The Misc->Highlight... menu entry reveals the highlighting control area. This has a scrolling list of names that will be highlighted. The list can be extended by entering new words in the lower left icon and clicking on Add. If you select an entry from the list by clicking on it you may choose Delete to remove it from the list or Update entry to replace it with a new one. Clicking on Save stores your list in Streamers setup area on disc.

Fn keys...

Text may be assigned to three sets of function keys – Fn key + shift, Fn key + Ctrl and Fn key + Shift + Ctrl. When a stream window has the caret and a function key combination is pressed, the assigned text will be sent to the tnc, being expanded as necessary. The Misc->Fn keys... menu entry gives access to the function key definition area. Choose which function key set to edit from the radio icons to the bottom of the dialogue box.

The definition may contain expressions between curly brackets. These will be expanded in the same way as text entered in the TX area. To embed ctrl codes you may also use the |x‘ convention, e.g |M to send a new line character.

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