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1990-12-09
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71KB
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2,641 lines
FLEXPAC - A Packet Terminal Program For
Use With the PacketCluster(tm)
Author: Bob Seidel ND2O
Distribution Manager: Tom Lindtveit N2GQS
Program Version: 2.5b (Document Revised 12/09/90)
FLEXPAC User`s Guide
PREFACE
This is the User's Guide for FLEXPAC. FLEXPAC is a program for the IBM
PC and compatibles which enhances use of the PacketCluster(tm)1 program.
FLEXPAC also can be used as a general purpose packet terminal program
and provides enhanced function in both situations.
Note: FLEXPAC has no connection with Pavillion Software; FLEXPAC uses no
Pavillion products, nor are Pavillion products used, modified, or
distributed in any way. The FLEXPAC software merely interfaces with
PacketCluster in the way a normal user would, except that it automates
that process in some areas.
DISCLAIMER: The FLEXPAC program and its ancillary support programs can
be freely distributed and used for any noncommercial purpose. However,
there are no warranties or guarantees of any kind implied or expressed.
The user is responsible in full for all implications of the usage and
installation of the program. The author and other persons associated
with the development of the program shall not be liable for any damages
directly or indirectly resulting from the installation and/or use of
these programs.
----------------
1 PacketCluster (c)opyright Pavillion Software
FLEXPAC User`s Guide 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
User Registration and Program Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Smart Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Main Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Buffered Terminal Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Screen Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
DX Spot Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Enhancements to Talk Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connect Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Function Key Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Scroll Back Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installation and Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using A Monochrome Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
What If It Doesn't Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Customizing Your Screen Colors, Windows, Other Options . . . . . . . 9
The Control File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
How Scripts Are Processed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Aborting A WAIT or A Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Function Key and Bottom Line Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Alt and Ctrl F Key Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Telling FLEXPAC Who You Are . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
DX Spot Logging Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Comments In The FLEXPAC.CTL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Writing To The Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Clock and Timing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Bells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Miscellaneous Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture . . . . . . 19
The Screen and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Scroll Back Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Keying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Retrieve Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
FLEXPAC User`s Guide 3
Entering Control Codes or other Non-ASCII Text . . . . . . . . . . 22
Switching Windows and Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Sending A File or Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Screen Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
COM Port Errors and Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
How To Determine Com Port Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
What To Do About Com Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Advanced Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Parameter Substitution In Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Reference Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
@ Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Commands Requiring Connection to the PacketCluster . . . . . . . . . 34
Listing of Enhancements Between Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.3 to 2.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.4 to 2.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
FLEXPAC User`s Guide 4
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1. Example of F Key Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 2. Example of Identifying Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
FLEXPAC User`s Guide 5
USER REGISTRATION AND PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION
FLEXPAC is distributed as Shareware. Shareware is software that is
freely distributed without charge. (Please note that although it is
distributed in this manner, it is NOT in the public domain and the
author retains his copyright rights.) As Shareware, you can get FLEXPAC
from a friend, use it freely, and distribute it to others.
If you like and use the program, and wish to support the development of
good, inexpensive software, please send a small registration fee of $15
to
Tom Lindtveit N2GQS
RD 1 Box 392C
West Hurley, NY 12491 USA
In return, you will receive the latest copy of the program on diskette.
You also will receive notice of fixes and enhancements. Be sure to
include your CALL and whether you want 360K/5.25" or 720K/3.25"
diskettes.
If you are not a registered user of FLEXPAC, you may still use it but
you will occasionally get a small reminder written on your screen
reminding you about Shareware. When you register, you will be given a
code based on your CALL; using the same procedure that is used to change
colors and the screen window arrangement, you can then customize your
version of FLEXPAC so that the reminder does not appear.
Refer to section "Customizing Your Screen Colors, Windows, Other
Options" on page 9 for more information on this customization process.
User Registration and Program Distribution 1
SMART OPERATOR
FLEXPAC can be described as a Smart Operator. Its basic function is as
a normal TNC terminal program - it sends and receives RS-232 (com port)
data to and from your TNC. It provides improved ease of use in things
such as retrieving prior typed lines, screen window control, etc., but
this user interface improvement was not the main reason for creating the
program.
FLEXPAC can automate many of the normally manual processes that you
would do on the PacketCluster. Among its many "Smart Operator"
functions are:
o logging of DX spots to printer or special DX window, eliminating DX
spots from the main window
o eliminates the alarm on TO ALL messages
o user defined scripts that can automatically process logon, logoff,
and other complex functions; this includes a WAIT function so that
you can synchronize your script to the system you are connected to
o the ability to schedule an event at a future time
o user function key definition
o capture of received data to a disk file
o calls you by an alarm when someone initiates TALK mode to you
o separate B stream window allows multiple connects
o enhanced editing of what you type, including automatic word wrap
power typing
Also to be noted are its small size, which makes it possible to run
FLEXPAC in a multitasking environment such as DoubleDOS(tm) or
DesqView(tm)2.
----------------
2 DoubleDOS (c)opyright SoftLogic Solutions; DesqView (c)opyright
Quarterdeck Systems
Smart Operator 2
MAIN FUNCTIONS
Before we get into details, let's just look at a high level description
of how the program operates. This section will describe the main
features, and will refer to commands described in detail in "The Control
File" on page 11.
BUFFERED TERMINAL PROGRAM
FLEXPAC functions as a normal terminal program - that is, it interfaces
between you and the TNC. You can type on the input line and your text
will be sent to the TNC. Data received from the TNC will be displayed
on the screen. OK, so what's so special?
FLEXPAC provides both input and output line buffering. FLEXPAC does not
send each keystroke that you type directly to the TNC. You type into a
separate input area so that you can correct mistakes, retrieve
previously entered text, use predefined function keys, and enter FLEXPAC
commands that do NOT go to the TNC. Only when you press Enter is your
input sent to the TNC (or processed, if it is a FLEXPAC command).
Power typing with word wrap is available. This feature is useful if you
are sending a note, or in Talk mode. When in this mode, you can type to
the end of the input line and keep on typing - the line is automatically
split at the last space and sent out just as if you had hit Enter. You
then continue where you left off, with the remaining text now at the
beginning of the text line.
When data is received, it is not displayed character by character as
received. It is buffered until a complete line is found; only then is
the line written to the screen.
The result of this buffering on both input and output is that the screen
appears more stable - you aren't sitting there waiting for lines to
scroll across the screen. You also can never mix input and output on
the same screen line, and you can type ahead and compose your next
message or response without screwing up the screen display.
To make the input vs. output more noticeable, they appear as different
colors on the screen.
SCREEN CAPTURE
You can specify that the data from a window be placed into a disk(ette)
file - this is called Capture and is controlled by the @CAPTURE command.
Each stream window can have its own capture to a separate file and are
Main Functions 3
independent of each other.
DX SPOT MONITORING
Most users of the PacketCluster are probably interested in working DX
and thus getting the DX and WWV spots and information. There may be
times that you do NOT want that information (perhaps you are just
monitoring the PacketCluster), or perhaps you want the DX spots logged
to the printer, so you can easily look at them later.
FLEXPAC monitors the data from the TNC for you - if it sees what it
thinks is a DX spot or WWV announcement, it will route it where you have
indicated (either the DX window, the printer or the bit bucket). See
the @DX function in section "DX Spot Logging Commands" on page 14 for
details.
WINDOWS
FLEXPAC allows you to have up to 3 receive windows on the screen. The
windows appear and disappear dynamically, based on what you are doing.
The main window is the standard A stream window, but also possible are a
separate B stream window, and a DX window. Refer to "The Screen and
Windows" on page 19 for more details on window usage.
ENHANCEMENTS TO TALK MODE
How often have you tried to TALK to someone and waited for a long time
because that person was not there? FLEXPAC improves that situation by
providing a service that summons you whenever someone enters talk mode
to you. It works like this:
1. station W2XYZ enters the command TALK N1ABC (N1ABC is, of course,
running FLEXPAC and has the Talk Monitor feature enabled)
2. FLEXPAC at N1ABC sees the talk message issued by PacketCluster and
if N1ABC has @TALKMONITOR ON:
a. automatically sends a message back to W2XYZ: "Hello W2XYZ, I
will call <your-name> - please wait."
b. sounds a double toned alarm using the PC speaker
c. if N1ABC does not answer (answer meaning press any key on the
keyboard), every 30 seconds an additional status message is sent
to W2XYZ
or, if N1ABC has @TALKMONITOR OFF:
Main Functions 4
a. autoamtically sends a message back to W2XYZ: "Hello W2XYZ,
<your-name> is not here - try again later."
3. If N1ABC never answers, all that W2XYZ has to do is to stop TALK by
issuing the /EXIT command to PacketCluster - FLEXPAC detects that
and stops sounding the alarm
CONNECT ALARM
How often have you missed someone connecting to you because you are
temporarily away from your PC? The Connect Alarm function can help you
here. The Connect Alarm will sound a special tone whenever a connection
is made to your system (any stream). The alarm will continue to sound
until you press any key, or until a DISCONNECT occurs. Use the
@CONNECTALARM (or @CA) command to control this alarm - the default is
ON.
FUNCTION KEY DEFINITION
FLEXPAC allows you to define your function ("F") keys. You can define
them to be any text or data, or special control functions such as
executing a script. You also can specify the content of the bottom
line of the screen (usually used to display F key usage).
In addition, you can specify whether the action is immediately taken, or
just have the text put in the key line for further modification. Do
this by ending the definition string with a slash (/) character.
SCRIPTS
FLEXPAC lets you define multiple line scripts - for logon, logoff, or
whatever purpose you need. See the supplied SAMPLE.CTL file for
examples. A unique component of this facility is the WAIT function,
which pauses execution of the script until the TNC sends a specific
phrase.
SCROLL BACK BUFFER
FLEXPAC incorporates a full scroll back buffer implementation for each
window. See section "The Scroll Back Buffers" on page 20 for further
details.
Main Functions 5
INSTALLATION AND USAGE
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
o IBM PC, PC Jr, PC Convertible, PS/2 or compatible.
o PC DOS 2.1 or later (PC DOS 3.0 or later required for DOS subset
feature)
o 256K RAM
o architected serial port (COM1 or COM2)
o color graphics adapter (CGA, EGA, VGA, PC Jr, or PC Convertible are
OK; IBM MDA (original Monochrome Display Adapter NOT usable).
o color display (preferred; monochrome display on color adapter can be
used)
o TNC-2 like TNC
o TNC cable for hardware handshaking (see "Cable Requirements" on page
6)
Cable Requirements
FLEXPAC uses hardware handshaking between your computer's COM port and
the TNC. This means that the program can signal to the TNC that it
cannot accept any more data. When the program can accept new data, it
signals the TNC to resume transmitting. In order to implement hardware
handshaking, you must have the proper wires in the cable that you use.
Specifically Request-To-Send and Clear-To-Send (pins 4 and 5) are used,
in addition to Data-Set-Ready (pin 6). (Note: these pin numbers are for
the normal DB-25 25 pin connector; other connectors may differ.) When
buying a cable, you want an RS-232 cable that has at least 8 or 9 wires.
To summarize, these are the pins used by FLEXPAC:
DB-25 Pin Meaning
------------ -----------------
1,7 Ground
2,3 Transmit,/Receive Data
4.5 Request-To-Send,Clear-To-Send
6 Data Set Ready
In addition, your modem might require pin 20 (Data Terminal Ready),
which FLEXPAC turns on.
Installation and Usage 6
If you do not have the proper cable, you will notice errors on received
data, and the error counters displayed at the end of the run will not be
zero. This situation should be corrected if present.
Using A Monochrome Display
FLEXPAC uses many colors on the screen. If you are using a monochrome
monitor and having trouble seeing all the fields, enter the DOS command
'MODE BW80' before starting the program.
INSTALLATION
Installation entails two steps. First, copy all files from the
distribution diskette to a subdirectory on your hard drive (or to a
working diskette if you have a diskette system). These files are:
FLEXPAC.EXE the main program file
FLEXPAC.BRW this documentation, in online browse format
FLEXPAC.PRT this documentation, in printable format (has standard IBM
printer control codes)
SAMPLE.CTL a sample control file
FLEXCUST.EXE the program that allows you to select your own screen
color combinations and to specify window sizes
FLEXCUST.PRO a data file used by FLEXCUST.EXE
Secondly, you have to customize the control file to your system and
requirements. START BY COPYING OR RENAMING THE SAMPLE FILE SAMPLE.CTL
TO FLEXPAC.CTL. Go through the file, changing all occurrences of
<yourcall> to your call, and <K5NA to your PacketCluster node call.
This may be all that you have to do, but unfortunately due the diversity
of TNCs, there is just no "quick start". You will have to read the
following chapters to understand the program and then look through the
FLEXPAC.CTL file for commands that are not correct for your TNC or
PacketCluster node and change them.
INVOCATION
To start up FLEXPAC, use the command:
FLEXPAC. [initial-procedure] [options]
Installation and Usage 7
All parameters are optional. If you specify an initial procedure, that
is the name of the script to be executed at start-up. See "Scripts" on
page 11. for details. The default startup procedure is "INIT".
There are some optional parameters you may need; they are:
/TNC=COMx sets the COM port to COM1 (default) or COM2 - replace x
with the proper number
/baud=xxxx sets the PC to TNC baud rate - acceptable values for
xxxx are 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600
/restart used when already connected; bypasses the default script
(INIT) invocation
/tncsetup enters a special TNC SETUP mode prior to starting the
run; used for special TNC initialization or AUTOBAUD
setup; see 3 on page 8 for more information
/comdelay=n sets the delay used when temporarily disabling the
communications port - see "COM Port Errors and
Adjustments" on page 26 for more information
WHAT IF IT DOESN'T RUN
If the program does not come up at all (i.e., does not clear and format
the screen as described) please report the problem. If the screen does
come up, but you cannot communicate with your TNC, check the following
things:
1. Check to see whether you have a valid control file (FLEXPAC.CTL) -
you might have forgotten to copy or rename it from SAMPLE.CTL and
might have forgotten to customize it - see "Installation" on page 7
for details.
2. Check to see whether your TNC is on COM1 or COM2 - if on COM2, make
sure you use the invocation parameter /TNC=COM2.
3. If you cannot seem to communicate with your TNC, the most common
source of problems is your TNC's baud rate, word length, or parity
setting. You can choose your baud rate (see /BAUD= invocation
parameter), but word length (usually the AWLEN parameter) must be 8
(for 8 bits in a word) and parity (usually the PARITY parameter)
must be 0 (no parity).
For some more information about COM port specifications, see "COM
Port Errors and Adjustments" on page 26.
You might also check to see if your TNC has an AUTOBAUD function, in
which the TNC can automatically sense the baud rate. If an AUTOBAUD
function is in effect, you will NOT be able to use normal FLEXPAC
Installation and Usage 8
keying to set it. This is because FLEXPAC buffers your keystrokes
and does not send them to the TNC until you press Enter.
To get around this problem, FLEXPAC has a special TNC setup mode,
which can be invoked by entering the /TNCSETUP invocation parameter.
If you use this parameter, you will be placed in a special SETUP
mode prior to starting normal FLEXPAC operation. In this special
mode you can enter any keystroke and it will be sent immediately to
the TNC, and any response immediately displayed. Use this mode to
perform any special TNC setup or AUTOBAUD setup you may need.
If you use /TNCSETUP, remember that the ECHO default for FLEXPAC is
ECHO OFF - therefore you will NOT see your individual keystrokes
echoed unless you issue the command ECHO ON to your TNC.
4. If none of the above, it is probably a TNC configuration problem;
see the script called SETUP (look for :SETUP) which is in effect a
list of the TNC parameters for a PacComm Tiny 2; find one or more in
conflict and fix them.
5. If DOS SUBSET mode (the @DOS command) doesn't work, it is probably
due to either a lack of sufficient storage to run another copy of
COMMAND.COM (which is what subset is), or you did not have
COMMAND.COM available on disk.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR SCREEN COLORS, WINDOWS, OTHER OPTIONS
Note: This section is placed here because it's the right place for it;
however, you don't need to customize now - come back to this section
later when you need or want to.
There is a way for your to customize your version of FLEXPAC. to set
these things:
screen colors
default COM port and baud
window sizes
In addition, you can also indicate that you have registered as an
FLEXPAC user.
Customization is done by using a separate program, FLEXCUST, which is
supplied in the package. FLEXCUST reads a file called FLEXCUST.PRO,
which you can modify (directions are right in the file) with your editor
to specify your unique color and window size specifications. After
FLEXCUST reads the FLEXCUST.PRO file, it modifies your working copy of
the main FLEXPAC.EXE program. This modification is made directly TO THE
PROGRAM FILE ITSELF (FLEXPAC.EXE) so that it is now different from the
program file that you originally received. Of course, you need to run
FLEXCUST only once to customize a copy of the program file.
Installation and Usage 9
Since the program file itself is modified, the changes will move with
the program file if you move or copy it. If you get another program
file (such as when a new release comes out), you will have to run
FLEXCUST again on the new program file.
Note: The COM port and baud rate specifications can be overridden by
options on the FLEXPAC invocation line.
Installation and Usage 10
THE CONTROL FILE
The key to understanding the smart functions is to understand the format
and content of the control file (FLEXPAC.CTL). This file is a normal
ASCII file that you can edit with any ASCII editor. The control file
must be on the current disk or subdirectory.
SCRIPTS
Entries (lines) in the control file can contain TNC commands or text, or
FLEXPAC special commands. All entries are organized into SCRIPTS. A
SCRIPT is defined as all the lines between a starting label and the
ending flag. A starting label consists of a colon (:) in column one,
followed directly (no spaces) by the "name" of the script. The name
also cannot contain any spaces. A colon (:) marks the end of a script -
this can be a line with just a colon, or the beginning of the next
script.
The control file must contain at least two scripts; one with the special
name INIT and one called SHUTDOWN. INIT is automatically executed by
FLEXPAC on start-up (unless you have overridden the initial script name
- see "Invocation" on page 7). SHUTDOWN is executed when you the issue
the @SHUTDOWN command to stop the run.
"Executed" means that FLEXPAC will look at each line and process it.
The line could be just text to send to the TNC (such as CONNECT K5NA) or
special FLEXPAC commands. Note that lines are processed identically
whether they came from a script in the control file, or were entered
manually by you in the key line.
An example of a script is:
* Script to turn on the talk monitor and tell the PacketCluster
* that we are here
:iamhere
set/here
@tm on
:
To execute this script type @do iamhere .
HOW SCRIPTS ARE PROCESSED
FLEXPAC makes one determination to see if the line is one of its own
special commands, or just a line of text for the TNC. It does this by
examining the first character. If it is a colon (:), then the script
The Control File 11
processing stops and control is returned to you at the keyboard. An
at-sign (@) in the first column indicates the start of a FLEXPAC
command. The command identification must immediately follow the
at-sign, with no spaces.
Aborting A WAIT or A Script
While script processing is in effect, data is being read from your
control file rather than from the keyboard. Any keys pressed during
script processing will be ignored, with the following exceptions:
1. if you are in a WAIT and you want to abort out of it, press the Esc
key; the script will then continue to process
2. to abort script processing, also press Esc - this will result in the
script being immediately terminated at that point
Note that if you are in a WAIT and also with to cancel the script, you
will have to press Esc twice.
FUNCTION KEY AND BOTTOM LINE DEFINITION
To define a function key, used the form:
@DEF Fn <text>[/].
where n is the key number (1-12) and <text> is the text to be defined.
After definition, whenever you press one of the F keys, FLEXPAC gets the
<text> and processes it as if you had manually typed <text> in the key
line. Thus, <text> can contain any text or FLEXPAC commands, including
the @DEF command itself!
The optional slash sign (/) at the end of the definition is used to
specify what FLEXPAC does with the definition. If there is no slash,
then the definition is immediately processed. If there is a slash at
the end, the definition characters are just placed in the key area on
the screen, just as if you had keyed them in yourself. The cursor is
positioned at the end of the line.
For example, if you talk to N2ABC a lot, you might want to define a key
such as:
@def F12 T N2ABC /
and then when you pressed F12 the characters T N2ABC would appear in the
command line area and then you could go ahead and just type your message
and then press Enter to send it.
The Control File 12
Many programs show the current F key definitions on the bottom line of
the screen. Rather than attempt to do this automatically, FLEXPAC lets
you define your own "message" to appear on the bottom line - you can put
F key abbreviations, or just some text, like "F Keys for PacketCluster
now active". Do this by the command:
@KEYS <key identification>
The entire <key identification> will appear on the bottom line.
An example of function key definitions for use with K5NA might be:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
:dokeys
@def f1 show/users
@def f2 dir/own
@def f3 dir
@keys Logged On K5NA: F1=Users F2=My Messages F3=General Messages
:
Figure 1. Example of F Key Definitions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alt and Ctrl F Key Definitions
Instead of just giving you the normal 12 F key definitions, FLEXPAC
gives you 36! You can also define the Alt or Ctrl F key combinations.
Just add the word Alt (or A) or Ctrl (or C) before the F number -
examples:
@def f1 show/users
@def alt f1 show/con K5na
@def c f2 /exit
This would define 3 entirely separate key definitions. Pressing F1
would result in "show/users", holding the ALT key and pressing F1 would
result in "show/con k5na" and holding the CTRL key and pressing F1 would
result in "/exit".
Similarly, you can define 3 separate function key definition lines. The
normal line will appear when the ALT and CTRL keys are not pressed -
when you press either of these, the definition line for that key will
appear. To define these additional key definition lines, put ALT (or A)
or CTRL (or C) in front of the definition in the @keys command.
Examples:
@keys f1=who f2=logoff f3=@DOS
@keys a Alternate Key Definitions In Effect
@keys ctrl **** NO CTRL F KEYS DEFINED NOW ****
The Control File 13
TELLING FLEXPAC WHO YOU ARE
FLEXPAC needs to know who you are (name, call) and the call of the
PacketCluster that you are using. The @MYCALL and @CLUSTERCALL commands
to this - examples:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
@mycall W2ABC
@myname Bob
@myname Bob Jones, W2ABC
@clustercall K5NA
Figure 2. Example of Identifying Commands
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure you set these; if not, certain functions of FLEXPAC will
not work properly.
DX SPOT LOGGING COMMANDS
You can use FLEXPAC to handle DX spots for you. The command is @DX, and
the operands are ON/OFF and SCREEN/PRINTER/WINDOW. Thus, to prevent
spots from coming to the screen, but to log all spots to the printer,
you would enter:
@DX OFF SCREEN
@DX ON PRINTER
To open a DX window, enter @DX ON WINDOW and to close the window, enter
@DX OFF WINDOW. At the current time, each command must be on a separate
line - you CANNOT, for example, say @DX ON SCREEN OFF PRINTER. Note
that all three modes are independent of each other and that the default
is ON for SCREEN and OFF for PRINTER and WINDOW. If you want no spots
at all, just turn everything off! (Note: some prior versions of FLEXPAC
have all DX display modes off as the default - if you see no DX spots,
this may be the problem.)
COMMENTS IN THE FLEXPAC.CTL FILE
Any line that begins with an asterisk (*) in the FLEXPAC.CTL file is
considered a comment and will not be processed.
The Control File 14
FLOW CONTROL
This set of commands controls execution flow through the control file,
and also controls ending the program. The commands are:
@DO name will immediately execute script "name". You would
normally have @DO in a F key definition, but it can be
used anywhere, including manually from the input line, or
within another script. If encountered within a script,
the current script is ended immediately and the new
script started. Optional parameters can be passed to the
script - see "Parameter Substitution In Scripts" on page
29 for more information.
If "name" is not found, an error message display.
@WAIT <text> tells FLEXPAC to pause temporarily while executing a
script; the pause continues until the <text> appears from
the TNC. You can wait for any text or characters; for
example,
@wait Connected to CLV
would wait until the text "Connected to CLV" appeared
anywhere within a line received from the TNC. At that
point, processing resumes in the current script.
What happens if the text is not found? In that case,
FLEXPAC will wait only for a certain period of time. You
can specify that time with the @WAITTIME command, or use
the default of 60 seconds. When that time is up, an
error message is sent to the screen and the script will
end. If you wish to have a different script executed
when the timeout occurs, you can specify that with the
@WAITNOTFOUND command.
This is an example of waiting 1 minute for a connect, and
then resetting the TNC if the connect does not occur:
* Try to connect, time out in 1 minute if not
:test
@waittime 60
@waitnotfound noconnect
c clv
@wait Connected to CLV
:
:noconnect
* got here if timeout on connect
@cmd
d
:
The Control File 15
The value specified in the @WAITTIME command must be an
integer time in seconds - the minimum is 1 second, and
the maximum is 3600 seconds (i.e 1 hour).
The operand of the @WAITNOTFOUND command is the name of a
script, similar to that in an @DO command. If you want
to reset the @WAITNOTFOUND to no script, just leave that
field blank. If the script specified is not found, this
will only be discovered when the timeout occurs, and an
additional error message will be displayed on the screen.
Note: do NOT specify the colon as the first character of
the script name - this will be detected as an error.
@EXIT immediately stops the program. No shutdown process (see
@SHUTDOWN command) is done. You probably would not do
this, but @EXIT must appear at the end of the SHUTDOWN
script to end the program.
@SHUTDOWN is the normal way to end the program. You would normally
define this to an F key. This command is equivalent to
@DO SHUTDOWN, which starts execution of the script
:SHUTDOWN.
WRITING TO THE SCREEN
When developing your scripts in FLEXPAC.CTL, you may sometime want to
clear the screen and write to it. These commands allow you to do that:
@CLEARSCREEN clears the current window - this command can be
abbreviated @CLS and take no operands.
@ERROR sends the text on the line to the screen using the error
color and also sounds the alarm tone.
@SAY works the same as @ERROR but does not sound the alarm and
is written in the normal FLEXPAC output color.
THE CLOCK AND TIMING COMMANDS
FLEXPAC has a sense of time. The current time of day is displayed on
the indicator line. Also, you can tell FLEXPAC to do something for you
at a specific time of the day.
The syntax of the AT command is
@AT hh:mm action
The Control File 16
where hh:mm is the TIME in the future to do the ACTION in hh:mm (hours,
minutes format - 24 hour time). Thus, if you wanted to shutdown the
program at 11:30 PM, you would issue the command
@AT 23:30 @DO SHUTDOWN
Note that the action can be any command or text, just as you would put
into, for example, an F key definition.
When the AT is ACTIVE, you will see the scheduled time displayed on the
screen near the main clock. To turn off an active AT, just issue the
command @AT without any parameters.
BELLS
You can use FLEXPAC to suppress the sound of the bell character (Ctrl-G)
from received messages. To do this, use the @BELLS OFF command, and
@BELLS ON to turn them on. The default is ON.
MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS
@COMSTAT displays the current COM port statistics, in a display
similar to that done at the normal end of FLEXPAC. See
section "COM Port Errors and Adjustments" on page 26 for
information on how to interpret this display.
@CMD tells FLEXPAC to send to the TNC the character that
switches from CONNECT mode to CMD mode, in effect
simulating pressing of the Esc key. This command is here
so that you can put TNC commands in your scripts, and
ensure that the TNC is in CMD mode.
@DELAY allows you to wait for a period of time (in seconds)
during the execution of a script. Specify @DELAY nn,
where 'nn' is the amount of time to delay in seconds.
All processing will be halted during this period.
@TALKMONITOR specifies if you should be called when someone initiates
TALK mode to you - specify ON or OFF.
@DOS issue a command to DOS or enter a DOS subset mode, if
enough memory is available to save the current screen
image. Memory available to DOS while in subset mode
depends on how much memory your computer has. Note that
the scroll back buffer is cleared out when you do an @DOS
command.
The format is:
The Control File 17
@DOS
..or..
@DOS doscommand
If you enter @DOS with no operands, you will be put in
DOS subset mode. Type EXIT to return to FLEXPAC. If you
enter @DOS DOSCOMMAND, the DOSCOMMAND will be sent to
DOS. Note that FLEXPAC continues to process the next
command in a script after @DOS without pause. This is so
you can put multiple DOS commands in your scripts without
human intervention.
In order to use @DOS you MUST have the DOS command
interpreter, COMMAND.COM available on disk. For hard
drives, this is probably the case. However, for diskette
only users, you should ensure that COMMAND.COM is on the
same diskette you use to run FLEXPAC.
@CAPTURE controls the capture of data from the active window into
a disk(ette) file. Refer to section "Screen Capture" on
page 24 for more detail.
@SEND The @SEND command sends a file or note to the TNC. Refer
to section "Sending A File or Message" on page 23 for
more information.
@WORDWRAP The @WORDWRAP controls whether word wrap with power
typing is enabled or not. The default is OFF. Say
@WORDWRAP ON or @WORDWRAP OFF.
The Control File 18
ABOUT THE SCREEN, WINDOWS, SWITCHING, AND SCREEN CAPTURE
THE SCREEN AND WINDOWS
When FLEXPAC starts up, you will see the main screen, which has these
main areas:
o The top 22 lines hold either TNC output or messages from the
program. This area scrolls upwards as you would normally expect it
would.
In this area there can be one, two, or three windows A window is a
horizontal stripe of data on the screen; each window has a different
color and a top header line.
If you are only using the standard A stream from your TNC and you
have not requested a DX window, then the main A stream window
occupies lines 2-22 on the screen. Line 1 is the header line for
the A stream window. The header line contains the current connect
status of that window.
If you request a B window by typing a |b command (where '|' is the
broken vertical bar or whatever your TNC's STREAMSWITCH character
is), then the B stream window will open. Lines 1-22 will be split
between the two windows. Note that as much of the data as possible
from the previous window size is copied to the new window - because
of this (and the scroll back buffer), data is never lost. Each
window has its own header line.
The B stream window will stay in effect until you manually close it
(see the Ctrl-PgUp key). The B stream window also can be opened
whenever the TNC sends B stream information to the computer. For
example, if somebody connects on the B stream to you, the B stream
window will automatically open.
In addition, you also can open a DX Window (see the @DX command).
This window also will share lines 1-22 with the other windows if
open.
o Line 23 is the status line. It shows the version of the program,
the current time, and the status of FLEXPAC options.
The fields on the status line are:
Position Used For
2 identifies the current program version number
17 shows the status of DX logging to screen, window, or
printer. The format is "DX-swp"; if DX logging is ON, the
appropriate character (s for screen, w for window, p for
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 19
printer) is capitalized. If DX logging is off for that
type of output, a lower case letter is displayed. Thus,
if the status line reads DX-SwP, DX logging is ON for
Screen and Printer, and OFF for Window.
26 shows the current time, in the format TIME-hh:mm.
39 shows the current @AT time, if you have an @AT pending.
50 indicates TALKMONITOR status - a small letter "t"
indicates that the talk monitor is off - a capital letter
"T" indicates that it is on
53 indicates CONNECTALARM status - a small letter "c"
indicates that the connect monitor is off - a capital
letter "C" indicates that it is on
59 shows if CAPTURE is on, and to what window; for example,
if the status line says CAP-Ab, then capture is on for the
A window and not for B.
68 indicates whether bells are suppressed or not; if BELLS
ON, you will see a music symbol in this column; if BELLS
OFF, this column will show nothing.
81 indicates if word wrap is enabled; shows WW if word wrap
is on, nothing if off.
o The next to bottom line contains any keystrokes you type. For
information on what keys can be used, see "Keying" on page 21.
o The bottom line is programmable by you. Normally it contains the
active function key definitions, but you can change to be anything
you want. This line can be changed dynamically during script
execution.
The Scroll Back Buffers
FLEXPAC incorporates a full scroll back buffer implementation for each
window that is open. FLEXPAC uses up to 32K of RAM for buffering for
the main stream windows, and 8K for the DX window - depending on how
much RAM you have available in your system. You can invoke this function
at any time on the ACTIVE WINDOW by pressing Alt-S; you can then scroll
the main receive window by using the arrow or PgUp and PgDn keys. Press
Esc to exit scrolling mode and return to normal operation. Note that
during scroll FLEXPAC halts all other functions, and that communications
with the TNC is stopped. With sufficient buffering in the TNC, this
should not be a problem.
You can back scroll the DX window by pressing Alt-D.
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 20
Note that using the @DOS command also requires RAM memory. Because of
this, the scroll back buffer is disabled during the @DOS function, and
reallocated when you return to FLEXPAC. This has the effect of erasing
all your previous scroll back data. This will be improved in a future
release.
KEYING
You will always see the cursor in the key input line. You can type at
any time, without effecting whatever else is going on (reading data from
the TNC, etc.). You can only type up to 80 characters. If you need
more text, press Enter to process the first line and then continue.
(Wrapping around to a new line is a very bad habit, and really screws up
the format of displayed notes and messages, and should be avoided - that
is why FLEXPAC does not let you do it.)
Key as you would normally. Press Enter when you want the line to be
acted on by the program. You may notice that the keying mode is ALWAYS
Insert Mode - the Ins key has no effect. FLEXPAC takes this default to
make the program-to-user interface simpler.
The following special keys are available:
Enter signals the program that you are finished typing this line and
that the program should process the line (may contain FLEXPAC
commands, data, or whatever)
Esc sends the character that causes the TNC to go from CONNECT
mode to CMD mode - you should then see the CMD prompt on the
screen. The character sent is $03 (hexadecimal 3).
If you are in scroll back mode, Esc cancels this mode and
returns you to normal control.
Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the current input line
End moves the cursor to the end of the current input line
Ctrl-PgUp eliminates the current window from the screen. Note that this
cannot be done to the A stream window (by definition, it is
always active) and does not apply to the DX window (use the
@DX OFF WINDOW command to close the DX window). Note also
that the eliminated window may reappear if the TNC sends data
to the window again.
Ctrl-PgDn erases the current line you are typing in the key area, clears
the line, and sets the cursor back to column one
Ctrl-Home clears the active window
Ctrl-End erases from the cursor to the end of the input line
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 21
Ins has no effect - always in Insert mode
Del deletes the character above the cursor
Backspace deletes the character to the left of the cursor and moves the
cursor to the left one character (rubout)
Alt-d activates the scroll back buffer for the DX window
Alt-s activates the scroll back buffer for the current window - see
section "The Scroll Back Buffers" on page 20 for details
The Retrieve Function
FLEXPAC saves the last 8 typed lines. You may retrieve any of those by
using the up arrow and down arrow keys. If you press an arrow key, you
will see the prior text displayed in the input window. At that point you
can type into it to change it or just press Enter.
Entering Control Codes or other Non-ASCII Text
If you wish to enter a control code or other nonstandard ASCII
character, you can do so by using the special '^' character prefix. This
can be done on the input line, or in your scripts.
The format is ^hh, where hh are two hexadecimal digits. Note that there
must always be two hexadecimal digits after the carat (^) or else it
will be ignored and left as standard ASCII data. When the line is sent
to the TNC, the 3 character sequence (^hh) will be changed to a single
character of the value you specify. Examples:
key:
A in hex is ^41
sends:
A in hex is A
key:
Send a bell ^07 here
sends:
Send a bell here <== and the bell sounds
key:
This is just a carat ^ here
sends:
This is just a carat ^ here <== no hex digits, ignored
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 22
SWITCHING WINDOWS AND STREAMS
The stream switch character (|) has significance to both your TNC and to
FLEXPAC. You use it to change connect streams - for example, entering
|B switches the TNC active stream to the B stream. FLEXPAC also looks
for and processes the stream switch character as an indication of which
screen window to activate (or if one is to be created). For example, if
you type |B at the start of a line, FLEXPAC will create a B stream
window if one is not already open, and then make that window the active
window. The |B is then passed to your TNC as normal for its processing.
For FLEXPAC to process the stream switch character, it MUST be the first
character on a line.
You also can precede an @ command with a stream switch sequence. This
would be most useful in scripts or key definitions. For example, if you
wanted to start capture of the B stream by pressing F2, you would define
it as:
@def f2 |b@capture to myfile.cap
FLEXPAC will process the |B first and switch to the B stream before
starting capture. When the stream switch sequence precedes an @
command, the entire line is NOT sent to the TNC, as the @ command itself
is not sent. Instead, just the stream switch sequence only (i.e., |b)
is sent.
SENDING A FILE OR MESSAGE
There are cases where you want to send a file to the PacketCluster, to a
BBS, or just to a friend. Currently, FLEXPAC does not support binary
(i.e. program) file transfers. Normal ASCII data can be transmitted by
using the @SEND command.
@SEND really doesn't do any magic - all it does is to take a disk(ette)
file that you specify and send it character by character to the TNC,
just as if you had typed it in. If you are uploading to a BBS or the
PacketCluster (for example), you would have to issue the commands to
tell the BBS that you are uploading a file BEFORE using the @SEND
command.
Another use of the @SEND command is to make it easier to compose and
send notes or mail. Rather than log on to a BBS and send the message
character by character (taking a lot of time, perhaps that another ham
could use to connect), you can put the note or message into a file and
@SEND it. The @DOS command of FLEXPAC can also help.
For example, to compose and send a note from within FLEXPAC you might do
the following (example, for the PacketCluster):
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 23
1) @DOS COPY CON MY.MSG <== tell DOS to get key input to a file
2) <enter the topic>
3) <enter your message
as many lines as necessary>
4) press Control-Z <== ends the DOS COPY command
5) s W1XYZ <== tell PacketCluster to start note
6) @SEND MY.MSG <== send the text of the message
As an alternative to using the DOS COPY command to create the file, you
could use your favorite editor.
The format of the @SEND command is:
@SEND filename
where 'filename' is the name of the file to be send - you can use any
valid DOS file name. If 'filename' cannot be found, you will see an
error message.
SCREEN CAPTURE
You can specify that the data from a window be placed into a disk(ette)
file - this is called Capture and is controlled by the @CAPTURE command.
Each stream window can have its own capture to a separate file and are
independent of each other. The @CAPTURE command when issued applies to
the currently active window.
To start capture in a window, issue the command
@CAPTURE TO <filename>
where <filename> is any valid DOS file name. If you wish to capture
directly to the printer, use the word PRINTER instead of <filename>. If
the file already exists, the new capture information will be added to
the end of the already existing file. To turn off capture, issue the
command
@CAPTURE OFF
which will stop capture for the current window.
Error messages are issued if:
o the file name is invalid or cannot be OPENed
o you try to capture to the same file from both windows
o you try to turn OFF capture when not on
o you try to start capture when capture has already been started in
that window
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 24
To indicate that capture is active, the phrase CAP-ab will appear in the
indicator line. If capture is active in either the A or B sessions, the
letter 'a' and/or 'b' will be capitalized.
About The Screen, Windows, Switching, and Screen Capture 25
COM PORT ERRORS AND ADJUSTMENTS
One of the most critical factors in getting FLEXPAC up and running for
you is to make sure that all of the communications port parameters are
working correctly. We can't emphasize more that the vast majority of
all startup problems are related to not having these communications
parameters correctly set up:
1. COM1 or COM2 - default is COM1
2. baud rate - default is 4800 baud
3. word length - 8 bits is MANDATORY
4. parity - Parity OFF is MANDATORY
5. stop bits - should be 1
Refer to your TNC manual to understand how to set these parameters in
your TNC. To change the COM port or baud rate for FLEXPAC, use the
/TNC=COMx and /BAUD=xxxx invocation parameters.
HOW TO DETERMINE COM PORT PROBLEMS
To assist in debugging COM port problems, FLEXPAC displays a set of
counters and indicators when you issue the @COMSTAT command. The screen
will look like this:
Performance Statistics:
- Comm Errs - ------- Circular Buffer ------
Ovr Par Fra TX Ovr/Bak/Siz RX Ovr/Bak/Siz
aaa bbb ccc ddd eee fff ggg hhh iii
The fields "aaa" through "iii" represent the numbers that will appear to
indicate the various values. There are 3 sections.
Comm Errs This section displays error counters accumulated during the
entire run. This set of errors are those reported from the
com port hardware (i.e. they are hardware detected
communications errors). There are 3 values - Ovr, Par, and
Fra, which stand for Overruns, Parity Errors, and Framing
Errors.
These numbers should be zero. If you occasionally see a "1"
value and you notice no problems running FLEXPAC, that can
probably be ignored. Consistent errors probably indicate a
mismatch in one or more of the 3 main com port parameters -
baud rate, word length, or parity. Another possibility is
that you may be running too high a baud rate for the
capabilities of your hardware - try running at a lower baud
rate.
Circular Buffer
COM Port Errors and Adjustments 26
FLEXPAC uses two circular (i.e. never ending) buffers, one for
data being transmitted, and one for data being received.
There are three numbers for the TX (transmit) buffer, and
three numbers for the RX (receive) buffer.
The "Siz" numbers indicate the size of each buffer.
Currently, FLEXPAC uses a 200 byte buffer for each, so these
numbers should always be "200".
The "Bak" numbers indicate the backlog, or the largest amount
of data ever backlogged in the buffer at any time. For
transmit, the backlog indicates maximum amount of data ever
pending to be transmitted. For receive, it indicates the
largest number of characters waiting in the buffer to be
processed by the program. These numbers should never be
greater than the buffer size.
If the backlog ever exceeds the size of the buffers, data will
be lost. The Ovr fields tell you how many times that happened
during this run. If either of these two Ovr numbers is
greater than zero, it indicates major communications problems.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT COM PROBLEMS
If you are getting Com port errors (Par, Fra, Ovr), then the first place
to look is the baud rate. If you are running a high rate (9600 baud),
your PC may not be able to keep up with the high rate of incoming
characters. Try using 4800 baud - if all works well at this speed, you
should stay there.
If you are getting RX circular buffer Ovr counts greater than zero, then
your TNC is not handling hardware handshaking properly. Check to see
that your cable has the appropriate wires and that the appropriate
commands to your TNC have been set to invoke hardware handshaking (XFLOW
on my TNC).
When using hardware handshaking, sometimes a few characters can "sneak"
by before the line is stopped. If you see occasional Com Ovr errors,
this may be due to errors which happen when the program THINKS that the
line is stopped but in fact a few more characters have slipped in.
FLEXPAC uses hardware handshaking, which means it uses the CTS (Clear To
Send) and RTS (Request To Send) lines in the RS-232 cable to control or
pace data communications. The program stops communications often
because doing some things (such as disk I/O or screen manipulations like
scrolling) can potentially cause COM port errors.
If you see Comm Errs or there are visible problems on the screen (such
as missing characters, improperly formatted data, etc.), then you may
need to increase the value in the /COMDELAY=n invocation parameter. The
value 'n' indicates the amount of time the program should delay after
COM Port Errors and Adjustments 27
attempting to quiesce the link before continuing. The amount of time is
expressed in characters, at the baud rate you are using. Thus,
/COMDELAY=2 says to delay 2 characters worth of time. In other words,
if you delay two characters of time, this should allow the two
characters "sneaking" in to be received without error. The number is
approximate, however - you will have to experiment to find the right
value for you.
The use of /COMDELAY= is not free - there is a performance penalty to
pay. For example, if you are running at 1200 baud, a single character
time is about 7 milliseconds (ms.). If you set /COMDELAY=2, then there
is a 14 ms. delay each time you, for example, read a line from the
control file. If your control file has 100 lines in it, the total
accumulated delay would be about 14 times 100 milliseconds or about 1.4
seconds.
COM Port Errors and Adjustments 28
ADVANCED TOPICS
PARAMETER SUBSTITUTION IN SCRIPTS
By using scripts in the control file and the @DO command, you can define
some very complex functions. An additional function of the @DO can
provide even more flexibility. For example, suppose you want to set up
a script file to start TALK to another station, and set word wrap on at
the same time. You could certainly write a script like:
:talk
@wordwrap
t somebody
but how do you get the "somebody" to be replaced with the person you
want to talk to?
The answer is that you can optionally place parameters (in other words,
more words) on the @DO command - these words will be substituted for
special symbols you put in the text. You can specify where each word
would go inside your script by using the special symbol %n, where 'n' is
the number (1-9 allowed) of the word on the @DO command line.
For example, if you said "@do talk N2AB", then the special symbol %1
would be replaced by the word "N2AB" in your script. "@do talk N2AB
Bob" would result in %1 being replaced by "N2AB" and %2 being replaced
by "Bob". Thus, you would now write that script (with a little
embellishment):
:talk
@wordwrap
t %1
Hi %2 - how are you?
If you then said
@do talk N2AB turkey
the resulting commands sent to the TNC would be:
t N2AB
Hi turkey - how are you?
If you understand DOS BATCH language, this substitution is very similar
to the way that DOS substitutes tokens.
The rules are:
1. Any %1 through %9 will be replaced with the first to ninth extra
words (tokens) on the @DO command line.
Advanced Topics 29
2. No special characters or delimiters are required - AB%1%2CD is a
valid target, in which both %1 and %2 will be replaced; since there
are no spaces around %1 and %2 in this example, none will appear
when resolved.
3. You do not have to enter all (or any) extra words on the @DO command
line. If your script calls for more tokens than entered, they will
be replaced with nothing. If you enter more words on @DO that you
call for in the script, the rest of the words will be ignored.
4. % followed by any other character will be ignored - if you MUST have
a % followed by a number that you do NOT want to be changed, use %%
instead - the %% will become a single %.
Advanced Topics 30
REFERENCE MATERIAL
@ COMMAND SUMMARY
In the following list, items within vertical bars represent a choice to
be made, or an abbreviation. Items in upper case are commands or
operands; if in lower case, you may substitute values (such as the hour
and minute for hh:mm). Items inside <> brackets are optional.
@AT
specifies an event to be executed in the future at the hour (hh)
and minuter (mm) you specify - the action can be any text,
definition, or command - the command with no parameters resets any
pending @AT
@AT hh:mm action
@AT
@BELLS
allows or suppresses the Ctrl-G (bell sound) on incoming messages
@BELLS | ON |
| OFF |
@CAPTURE
controls logging of all data written in a window to a disk file
| @CAPTURE | | TO | <filename> | |
| @CAP | | PRINTER |
| P |
| OFF |
@CLEARSCREEN
clears the current window
| @CLEARSCREEN |
| @CLS |
@CLUSTERCALL
identifies the callsign of the PacketCluster node to the program
| @CLUSTERCALL | call-sign
| @CLCALL |
@CMD
tell the TNC to enter CMD mode
@CMD
@COMSTAT
displays COM port statistics
@COMSTAT
Reference Material 31
@CONNECTALARM
turns ON or OFF the Connect Alarm facility
| @CONNECTALARM | | ON |
| @CA | | OFF |
@DEF
allows you to define your own function key definitions
@DEF | | Fxx <key definition>
| CTRL |
| C |
| ALT |
| A |
@DO
causes the execution of the script labeled "name"
@DO script-name | up to 9 tokens |
@DOS
execute a DOS command or enter DOS subset (DOS 3.0 or later
required)
@DOS <dos-command>
@DX
controls routine of DX spot information to the screen and/or
printer, and also controls whether there is a DX window on the
screen
@DX | ON | | SCREEN or S |
| OFF | | PRINTER or P |
| WINDOW or W |
@ERROR
sends an error message to the current window - the message is in
the error color, and the alarm tone also sounds
@ERROR message
@EXIT
stops the program immediately; the SHUTDOWN process is NOT executed
@EXIT
@KEYS
specifies the text that appears on the bottom line of the display
@KEYS | | bottom-line-text
| CTRL |
| C |
| ALT |
| A |
@MYCALL
identifies your callsign to the system
| @MYCALL | callsign
| @MYC |
Reference Material 32
@MYNAME
identifies your name to the system; the name can be one or more
words, but I recommend using only your first name.
| @MYNAME | name-text
| @MYN |
@SAY
send a line to the current window
@SAY message
@SEND
causes the characters in the specified file to be transmitted.
@SEND filename
@SHUTDOWN
causes execution of the SHUTDOWN script, which should end with
@EXIT
| @SHUTDOWN |
| @SHUTD |
@TALKMONITOR
turns ON or OFF the Talk Monitor facility
| @TALKMONITOR | | ON |
| @TM | | OFF |
@WAIT
suspends execution of the script until the specified text appears
in the TNC output, at which time execution will resume; pressing
Esc on the keyboard aborts the WAIT, and the script will then
continue; the text can appear anywhere within the received line to
be detected properly; see also @WAITNOTFOUND and @WAITTIME
@WAIT text-to-wait-for
@WAITNOTFOUND
identifies the script that should be executed when an @WAIT fails
(i.e. the text is not found within the default time or the time
specified by @WAITTIME
| @WAITNOTFOUND | script-name
| @WNF |
@WAITTIME
overrides the default time (in seconds) of how long to wait for the
text in an @WAIT commnd to appear
| @WAITTIME | n
| @WT |
@WORDWRAP
enables or disables power typing and word wrap
| @WORDWRAP | | ON |
| @WW | | OFF |
Reference Material 33
COMMANDS REQUIRING CONNECTION TO THE PACKETCLUSTER
Some FLEXPAC functions or commands will not work unless the program
knows that you are connected to the station you have defined as your
PacketCluster node (via the @CLUSTERCALL command). These commands or
functions are:
o the TALKMONITOR function
o the @DX command for DX spot manipulation (you can open a DX window
when not connected to the PacketCluster node, but nothing will be
displayed in it)
Reference Material 34
LISTING OF ENHANCEMENTS BETWEEN VERSIONS
2.3 TO 2.4
1. Support added for Ctrl and Alt shifted Function keys; the key line
contents (defined by the @KEYS command) can also be specified
independently for Ctrl or Alt shift.
2. Word Wrap feature added; WW indicator added to the indicator line
3. Indicator line for BELLS changed from BELLS ON/BELLS OFF to a music
symbol
4. Parameters for @DO can now be passed, similar to the way in which
DOS BAT files work
5. Esc is now the only key that will terminate a WAIT or a script; all
other keys typed during script processing will be ignored
6. Com port and baud can now be specified in the customization process
7. Ctrl-PgDn key erases the current line being keyed
8. The invocation parameter "/SPEED" has been changed to "/BAUD"
9. The XFLOW communications indicator has been eliminated. This was
useful for some initial debugging and testing, but were causing
additional problems (such as line overruns) due to the excess code
in the com port interrupt handler. Also, communications indicators
appear only when the @COMSTAT command is issued; they no longer
appear automatically at the end of the run.
2.4 TO 2.5
1. Ability to turn off an @AT command by issuing @AT with no
parameters.
2. @DELAY command added.
3. Fixes to multiple stream support.
4. Fixes to @CAPTURE were made to clean up the file format.
5. Connect Alarm and @CONNECTALARM command added.
6. Added @WAITNOTFOUND and @WAITTIME commands, allowing you to specify
the amount of time in seconds to wait for an @WAIT to find the
specified text, and an error script to be executed if the text is
not found.
7. Added @CLEARSCREEN, @SAY and @ERROR commands.
Listing of Enhancements Between Versions 35
