HOSTACCESS RELEASE NOTES Production Release 3 6.30a and 7.10a November 1998 ====================================================================== Welcome to HOSTACCESS(tm), the powerful host connectivity and desktop integration package. These release notes contain: 1) The different HOSTACCESS versions available, 2) The emulations and networks supported, 3) Features, 4) ActiveX support in HOSTACCESS 7.10a, 5) Exclusions from product versions, 6) Exclusions from online help, If you need any additional information about HOSTACCESS, please contact your dealer or visit our WWW site: http://www.pixel-group.com You can also contact Pixel at: UK USA Pixel Innovations Ltd Pixel USA Inc. Quantum House 5275 Triangle Parkway Maylands Avenue Suite 150 Hemel Hempstead Norcross Herts HP2 7DE GA 30092 England USA Tel Sales +44(0)1442 231081 Tel Sales & Support +1 770 449 6691 Tel Support +44(0)1442 352020 Fax Sales +44(0)1442 235775 Fax Sales & Support +1 770 449 6388 Fax Support +44(0)1442 242424 Email: sales@pixel-group.com usasales@pixel-group.com Email: support@pixel-group.com usasupport@pixel-group.com ====================================================================== 1. HOSTACCESS VERSIONS Available in 16 and 32 bit versions, HOSTACCESS 6.30a is designed for optimum performance in a Windows 3.1 and Workgroups environment, but will work in a Windows 95 environment, although some features may function incorrectly. HOSTACCESS 7.10a is designed specifically for use on Windows 95, 98 and NT 4.0 and later releases on NT. ====================================================================== 2. EMULATIONS AND NETWORKS SUPPORTED 2.1 Emulations - HOSTACCESS 6.30a and 7.10a Mainframe and mid-range: IBM TN3270, 3287 Printer. IBM TN5250. ICL 7561, DRS-M10/M15. BULL VIP7800. DEC VT52, VT100, VT220 (7 bit & 8 bit) VT320, VT420. Generic industry standard: ADDSViewpoint. ADM11 R, P, W, H. AMPEX 320. ANSI (+ Colour). Data General DG216. IBM PC Monitor. Microfusion MF-30. QUME QVT119. SCO ANSI Console. TELEVIDEO TVI920, TVI955. PRIME PT200. UCL Cifer T205. Wyse 50, 50+, 60. Specialist: Galileo. Videotex. Specialist PICK: IN2 SM9400 (J & G models). MDIS Prism 8, 9 and 9 ANSI. 2.2 Networks HOSTACCESS 6.30a HOSTACCESS 7.10a Serial port Loopback Loopback Modem NACS Serial port DEC LAT Test file DEC CTERM Windows Sockets Int 14 APPC Router APPC Router PicLan PicLan Test file Windows Sockets. ====================================================================== 3. FEATURES 3.1 Installation Standard InstallShield installation process which allows you to add-in or remove optional items such as server installation files, on-line manuals and sample macro/test files. The installation now includes the latest Microsoft updates (which are selected to be installed, if needed). Installing these will enable the new toolbars and FTP client in HOSTACCESS 7.1. 3.2 Security HOSTACCESS stores encrypted user names and passwords in the session file, and allows you to configure the command stacker to prevent them from being recorded. 3.3 File Transfer HOSTACCESS supports its own proprietary file transfer protocol's (PICK.DOS and UNIXDOS) and all the standard file transfer protocols including Kermit, X Modem, Y Modem, Z Modem, IND$FILE. HOSTACCESS now supports standard FTP. This gives users the ability to transfer files to and from any FTP server on the internet. This functionality can be controlled via AiF. 3.4 Emulations Support for the Honeywell Bull VIP 7800 emulation has been added. The IBM TN5250 and TN3270 and ICL 7561 emulation have been enhanced considerably with improved printing and AutoGUI facilities. HOSTACCESS also supports IND$FILE file transfer for 3270 applications. True emulation style attributes are supported with, for instance, underline and flashing styles. 3.5 User Interface You can navigate host backpages with a vertical scroll-bar, this feature is turned off by default. HOSTACCESS now contains a new graphical user interface for the IND$FILE file transfer protocol. 3.6 Keyboard Mapping You can customise your keyboard by using the Keyboard mapping option to define functions for PC keys pressed. HOSTACCESS will store and play back up to 80 PC key mappings. You can also map keys to macros or specific character strings. You can now perform all of the actions needed for mapping PC keys, via the keyboard. You now also have the ability to dual map emulation keys. 3.7 AutoGUI You can transform the look of legacy applications into Windows style applications with ease, without any code changes to the host application using HOSTACCESS's AutoGUI features. 3.8 Printing This feature is extended to allow print jobs to be closed by the user as well as support for a user configured timeout to allow Print Managers to close print jobs correctly. There is also the ability to close print jobs via AiF. 3.9 Macros HOSTACCESS's powerful macro facility allows you to automate standard tasks. You can either use the macro recorder to automate simple tasks, or you can write a program in HOSTACCESS's macro language to automate almost any host task. 3.10 Screen Handling Ultimise is now a system state with Maximise and Restore. New Font automation has been added, which means you can resize the HOSTACCESS frame and the font automation resizes the terminal window for the 'best fit' without adjusting the frame size. 3.11 On-line Documentation Full on-line help for User's, Developers and Host Integration (PICK, Universe, Unidata and compatible systems) is available and can be selected during the installshield. 3.12 Terminal Configuration The previous functionality for force Num Lock on/off has been removed, owing to the different behaviours of versions of Windows. The options that are now available are either to use Num Lock as the Num Lock toggle, or to use Num Lock as a Host key. The Caps Lock now attempts to force the state of the Caps Lock at connection time only, as will be the case for all Windows applications. The Caps Lock state is not 'saved' when HOSTACCESS is accessed or exited. The nationality option has been removed. When a terminal supports nationality changes, these are reflected in the configuration properties of the particular emulation. 3.13 Session Configuration When configuration setting can be performed 'on the fly' this facility is made available. A session is restarted only when a change is made that cannot be actioned 'on the fly'. The 32-bit version now restarts the session only when changes have been made. The 16- and 32-bit versions now use a standard interface for configuring sessions. 3.14 Journal Configuration The Journal dialog has been reorganised to avoid overlapping controls. There are many additional diagnostic areas. 3.15 Colour Configuration Colours can now be directly selected without having to select the radio buttons associated with them, and colour changes can now be made more logically. 3.16 Toolbars The toolbars has been changed to use standard 'Microsoft foundation class' toolbars, this give the toolbar a new look and feel. This also means that toolbars can be docked on either the side, top or bottom of the HOSTACCESS window. The toolbars use the new 'Internet Explorer effect', this means that the toobar buttons appear flat. Customisation has now been implemented for the new look toolbars, you can rearrange, add or remove buttons at your leisure. 3.17 Hotspots Hotspots have been enhanced so that when using CURSORPOS we only take one mouse-click to jump to the appropriate location. 3.18 Performance Windows NT performance has been enhanced and processor usage has been reduced. 3.19 Internal The product has been standardized internally by the implementation of Microsoft's 'Doc View' architecture. The source codes for the 16- and 32-bit versions have been unified. Consequently, only one resource file is required for both versions. The appearance and handling of the 16-bit spin controls are now the same as the 32-bit standard controls. All internal storage of character and screen data has been converted to utilise unicode. ====================================================================== 4. ACTIVE'X' 4.1 Microsoft's Internet Explorer v3.02 or later HOSTACCESS 7.10a is now ActiveX enabled; this means that HOSTACCESS can be used embedded in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.02 or later. This feature is enabled as part of the evaluation license but will require an additional code after the 30 day evaluation period. Please contact Pixel's Sales department for more details. 4.2 Netscape's Navigator and Communicator browsers If you need to use HOSTACCESS 7.10a embedded in Netscape's Navigator or Netscape's Communicator, please contact Pixel Innovations for details of our Netscape plugin. ====================================================================== 5. EXCLUSIONS FROM PRODUCT VERSIONS 5.1 16bit VBX Grid This is supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3 but not in HOSTACCESS 7.1. 5.2 ActiveX HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports ActiveX, but this is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.3 Networks HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports a subset of the networks supported by HOSTACCESS 6.3, see section 2.2. 5.4 Context Menus HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports context menus - this is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.5 Session Configuration In HOSTACCESS 7.1 you can create/configure a session with HOSTACCESS closed - this is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.6 OLE Support HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports OLE - this is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.7 Path Specification HOSTACCESS 7.1 allows you to specify a path when opening and saving sessions (the default working directory is used - unless using HOSTACCESS on Windows 98, where the 'My Documents' directory is used) - this is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.8 TAPI Support HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports TAPI for modem access to hosts - TAPI is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3, which has it own modem dialing interface. 5.9 Toolbars HOSTACESS 7.1 supports the new 'Internet Explorer effect' toolbars - These toolbars are not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. 5.10 FTP file transfer HOSTACCESS 7.1 supports the new FTP file transfer client - This is not supported in HOSTACCESS 6.3. ====================================================================== 6. EXCLUSIONS FROM ONLINE HELP 6.1 16-bit HOSTACCESS System menu: Network tracing does not have a help topic. System menu: Macro does not have any help. System menu: Edit macro does not have any help. Help menu: Index does not have any help (32-bit version displays the Welcome page of the help file). System menu|Macro: Stop recording does not have any help. 6.2 32-bit HOSTACCESS System menu: Network tracing does not have a help topic. System menu: Macro does not have any help. Edit menu: Insert an OLE object does not have any help. System menu|Macro: Stop recording does not have any help. System menu: Start FTP file transfer does not have any help. ======================================================================