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╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ▒▒▒▒▒▒ MARSGRAM! DOCUMENTATION ▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝
Release Version 2.3 April 22, 1989
BY
Larry Schuldt NNN0QHD
3123 Northwest Rd.
Marengo, IL 60152-0102
This DOC File By
Bill Porter NNN0FBP
38771 N. Lewis Ave.
Zion IL 60099-3375
┌────────────────────┐
│ INTRODUCTION │
└────────────────────┘
This program was developed for use by Navy-Marine Corps MARS
members and may be distributed freely to MARS members at NO
CHARGE. The author requests that no changes be made in the
program without his express permission.
The MARSGRAM! Program has been developed to allow you to...
... enter text MARSgrams from the keyboard as you are receiving
them over the air,
.. enter NMAT 1 MARSgrams, again, just as you receive them over
the air,
... print selected MARSgrams (text and NMATS) directly from a
traffic file saved to disk,
... save and retrieve individual MARSgrams to disk files,
... edit individual MARSgrams,
... print standard computer MARSgrams, BOTH sides, and
... print MARSgrams on regular 8.5 x 11 tractor feed paper.
While this feature requires two sheets of paper so that
printing can be done on two sides, it is a handy feature
when you are out of computer MARSgrams.
... print "stacks" of MARSgrams (all one side then all the
other). Perfect for sheet fed printers.
... allow custom setup of individual printer files.
┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│ FILES ON THE MARSGRAM! DISK │
└───────────────────────────────────┘
The following files are contained on the MARSGRAM! disk:
MARSGRAM.EXE - The program file.
MARSGRAM.DOC - This documentation file.
MARSGRAM.DAT - Sample setup file that may be modified for your
use.
*.PTR - Several printer files with the extension .PTR are
included.
The following files will be created during program setup:
MARSGRAM.DAT - This file will contain the data you have entered
when setting up the program for the first time. A
sample file is on the disk. MARSGRAM.LIS - This
file will hold the completed MARSgrams you wish
to print using the sheet feed printer option.
\????\ - This will be a subdirectory you create during
setup to hold saved MARSgrams.
DEFPTR.PTR - This printer file will be created after you
have installed your printer codes in the setup
file.
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS │
└───────────────────────────┘
If you are reading these DOCs, no more need be said about system
requirements. The program is designed to work with a color
monitor and should work fine with a monochrome monitor.
PRINTER COMPATIBILITY: Several printer files have been included
on the program disk. If you have one of the printers listed on
the disk, simply rename that file using the procedure outlined
under Setup. If your printer is not listed, follow the pro-
cedure under Setup to install the necessary codes as provided in
your printer manual.
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ LOADING THE PROGRAM │
└───────────────────────────┘
MAKE A BACKUP COPY: Before going any further, use your DOS com-
mands or a file utility to make a backup of the MARSGRAM! program
disk.
After reading the DOC file and inserting the disk in the appro-
priate drive and setting your system to that drive type,
"MARSGRAM!" <CR>.
NOTE: Throughout these DOCs, do not include the quote (")
marks when instructed to enter data.
THE FIRST TIME: When MARSGRAM! loads for the first time, if a
setup file does not exist, then the Setup mode will be entered
automatically. Once all required data has been entered in the
Setup File, you will be brought directly to the main menu when
loading the program. You may change data in the Setup File at
any point by selecting SETUP from the main menu.
┌─────────────────────┐
│ <<<HOT KEY>>> │
└─────────────────────┘
The "Hot Key" or <ESC> key will allow you to return to the
MAIN MENU from any place in the program. This feature is
especially useful if you have made in incorrect selection.
Simply press <ESC) and return to the Main Menu.
NOTE: When in Setup Mode, the HOT KEY allows escape back to
the Main Menu ONLY from the Setup Options Menu. It does NOT
work while in the setup file.
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ SETUP FILE DATA ENTRY │
└─────────────────────────────┘
The Setup Menu contains the following two options:
MAIN SETUP
DEFINE PRINTER CODES
Move the highlight bar to your choice and press <CR>.
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ DEFINE PRINTER CODES │
└────────────────────────────┘
This option will allow you to enter codes for your printer and
save these codes in a file called DEFPRNTR.PTR which will be
loaded automatically each time MARSGRAM! is started.
You are first asked to enter a printer filename. Enter the name
of your printer or one of the sample printer files and press <CR>.
Do not specify a file extension; the file will have a .PTR exten-
sion added by the program.
A listing of printer codes used by MARSGRAM! will now appear on
screen. Use your printer manual to locate the codes required and
enter them as instructed in your manual. If you have any problem
entering the codes, or if you are not familiar with how they
should be entered, enter the name of one of the printer files
already on the disk when asked for a printer filename. Make a
"print screen" of the codes that appear and use this as a guide
to help in entering your codes.
After entering your printer filename, you will be prompted to
enter the number of the item to be changed. Select the item
number and press <CR>. A window will appear and you will be
prompted to enter the code for that specific item. Do so and
press <CR>.
If you are modifying one of the sample printer files and your
printer does not support an enhancement such as italic, enter
double quotes ("") for that particular entry. This need not be
done when creating a printer file from scratch.
Items 14, 15 and 16 of the printer code screen control the
number of vertical lines down from top of sheet printing begins.
The preset codes are as follows:
14 Number of lines for MARSgram plain address side 19
15 Number of lines for MARSgram form address side 27
16 Number of lines for MARSgram form text side 14
You may use these presets or enter new values depending on your
the vertical paper handling/spacing used by your printer. There
is no preset value for the text side if MARSgrams when printer
on plain paper.
When all codes have been entered and you are again prompted to
enter the number of the item to change, press <CR> and the codes
will be saved in your designated printer file.
In order for MARSGRAM! to automatically load the printer file,
it must be renamed. To save your printer file under its current
name, use the DOS copy command. For example:
COPY (YOUR PRINTER FILE NAME) DEFPRNTR.PTR
After your printer file has been saved, you will be brought back
to the main Setup Menu where you may select DEFINE PRINTER CODES
to set up another printer, or move into the main setup section of
the program.
┌──────────────────┐
│ MAIN SETUP │
└──────────────────┘
Enter the data exactly as you want it to appear on the printed
MARSgram as follows:
MARS CALL - Enter your complete callsign including the "T" if you
are a Tango member, i.e. NNN0GBPT. The Program will select the
portions of your call needed in various areas of the MARS- gram.
OPERATOR NAME: Enter your name exactly as it should appear on the
MARSgram.
ADDRESS (First Line): Enter your street address on this line.
ADDRESS (2nd Line): This line is normally left blank. To leave
the line blank enter <CR>. If your address consists of four
lines such as:
Bill Porter
ADDRESS 1st Line 100 N. Michigan Ave.
ADDRESS 2nd Line Apt. #202
Chicago IL 60606
then enter the special address indicator line in ADDRESS First
Line and the street address in ADDRESS 2nd Line. The program
will not print the unused blank address line.
CITY: Enter your city as it should appear on the MARSgram.
STATE: Enter your 2-letter state abbreviation.
ZIP CODE: Enter your five digit zip code. If you wish to enter
your full nine digit zip code, be sure to enter the "-" in the
correct position, i.e. 60099-3375.
PHONE NUMBER: Enter your phone number as you wish to have it
appear on the MARSgram. For example, 312-249-1789, or (312)
872-2142.
NOTE: When entering phone numbers and zip code data into the
program itself, MARSGRAM! will automatically place the dash in
the proper location. Only in the Setup File must you place the
dashes correctly.
TIME ZONE: MARSGRAM! will print the correct time no matter where
used in the U.S. Enter your time zone using capital letters.
TIME OF RECEIPT: Enter the number corresponding to your choice:
1. Local Time - Prints time from the computer clock.
2. GMT - The correct Zulu time is calculated for you.
3. Manual Time Entry - You may enter time of receipt for
each message manually, choose local time from the
clock, or have Zulu time calculated for you. You must
choose one of these for each message if you select this
option.
PATH FOR SAVED MARSGRAMS: You must enter the path and filename
where you wish to have marsgrams saved. Each MARSgram is saved
as MG???.TXT. Where ??? represents a number from 000 to 999.
The numbering of saved MARSgram files is automatic. If your
MARSGRAM! program is installed on a hard drive, you may specify
a path such as:
C:\MARSGRAM\MESSAGES\
where, "C:\MARSGRAM" is the directory where you have installed
the MARSGRAM! program and, "\MESSAGES" is the subdirectory where
you wish to have all messages saved.
Be advised, with some systems, you must specify a subdirectory
such as, .\"SUBDIRECTORY NAME" in order for the save process to
work properly. You may, of course, specify any directory and
path you wish. If you have any problems with saving messages,
try various combinations to see which works best for you.
MARSGRAM RETURN ADDRESS: In this section you will be asked for
a four line address for your HQ. Enter each line as you wish to
have it printed on the address side of the MARSgram.
COLOR SELECTION: You are now presented with a color setup selec-
tion menu. Use the cursor up/down keys to move the "*" to the
selection you wish to change. Use the cursor left/right keys to
move through the available color options. After selected the
text/background colors, move the "*" to the next selection. Re-
peat this process until all colors have been selected. When you
move the "*" to one of the "window" options, press the left or
right cursor key to bring a window on screen. Cycle through the
available color combinations as before then use the up or down
cursor key to move to the next selection. The current window
will be replaced with a new window. Repeat this process until
you have completed your color selection process.
Press <CR> to leave color selection and move to the next setup
option.
NOTE: For those using a monochrome monitor, you may wish to
experiment a bit with the color options to see effect each
has with shading on your monitor.
SETTING THE DELAY VALUE: You now have the opportunity to set the
delay value for warning messages and information that flashes on
screen. Use the default setting or enter a number to allow the
information to appear on screen for the desired time.
SAVING SETUP OPTIONS: The final screen will display all data,
values and colors you have selected. If everything is okay,
press "Y" <CR>. Your setups will be saved to disk and you will
be returned to the main option menu. If not, press "N" <CR> and
do it over.
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ MAIN MENU SELECTIONS │
└────────────────────────────┘
The Main Menu offers the following selections:
RUN TEXT MARSGRAMS FROM THE KEYBOARD
RUN NMAT ONE MARSGRAMS FROM KEYBOARD
RUN MARSGRAMS FROM A FILE
ENTER SETUP
EXIT
To make your selection, use the cursor up/down keys to move the
highlighted bar to the desired choice and press <CR>.
┌─────────────────────┐
│ FUNCTION KEYS │
└─────────────────────┘
The following function keys have been added to MARSGRAM!:
F1 - ENTER NMAT ONE MARSgram.
F2 - ENTER TEXT MARSgram.
These keys may be used to switch from NMAT ONE to ALL TEXT MARS-
grams when entering a message from the keyboard in either the RUN
TEXT MARSGRAM FROM THE KEYBOARD or RUN NMAT ONE MARSGRAM FROM THE
EYBOARD. Using the F1 or F2 keys allows smooth entry of the
message from the traffic rep.
You may make your selection up to the point where you enter the
addee phone number, but before you press <CR> after entering the
phone number.
The Program will automatically switch between NMAT ONE and ALL
TEXT message entry, leaving the header as already entered. As
usual, the Program will "remember" your selection for the next
message entry. You may switch between the two message formats
at any time before entering the addee phone number.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RUN TEXT MARSGRAMS FROM THE KEYBOARD │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
You will be asked to enter data in the same order that the
message is "read" over the air.
ENTER DATE-TIME GROUP: Enter the DTG just as you receive it over
the air, i.e. 030130Z FEB 89, and press <CR>.
NOTE; Generally when you are asked to enter data, two "*"
will appear in the lower portion of the screen indicating
the amount of space allowed for data entry.
ENTER NAME OF SENDER: Self-explanatory.
ENTER LOCATION OF ORIGIN: Enter here the geographic location of
the sender, i.e. CAMP COVINGTON GUAM.
ENTER SUFFIX AND LOCATION OF ORIGINATING STATION: Enter station
or origin call and location, such as: MOC OA. MARSGRAM! will
expand this to NNN0MOC OA. If the source of the message is other
than NAVMARCOR MARS, such as AAA0MOA, enter the complete call and
no expansion will take place.
ENTER ADDEE NAME: When entering the addee name, be aware that if
you have a very long addee line such as, "CAPT WILLIAM AND MRS
CATHERINE A PETROWSKI", the entire addee line will print on the
address side of the MARSgram. The addee line will, however, be
truncated to fit the text side of the MARSgram.
ENTER ADDEE ADDRESS LINE 1: Enter addee street address on this
line.
ENTER ADDEE ADDRESS LINE 2: Normally, this line is left blank.
If, however you have a special address indicator like, GREENVIEW
MANOR APARTMENTS #201, enter this special address indicator on
ADDEE ADDRESS LINE 1 and the street address on ADDEE ADDRESS LINE
2. The procedure here is the same as setting up your name/ad-
dress in the Setup File. When your PREVIOUS message used address
line 2 and your CURRENT message does not, you must clear address
line 2 by typing, "SPACE BAR" and pressing <CR>.
ENTER ADDEE CITY: Self-Explanatory
ENTER ADDEE ZIP CODE: You may enter the addee zip code in any
of the\following ways:
60099 60099-3375 600993375
If you enter the 9-digit zip code without the "-", the Program
will automatically insert the hyphen where needed.
ENTER ADDEE TELEPHONE NUMBER: As with entering the addee zip
code, you may enter the phone number in the following ways:
249-1789 2491789 which will convert this to 249-1789
312-249-1789 3122491789 which will convert this to
(312) 249-1789
Entering "U" for the phone number will cause MARSGRAM! to print
"UNKNOWN".
REMEMBER! You may enter F1 here (before pressing <CR>) to switch
to an NMAT ONE message format.
ENTER MESSAGE TEXT: At this screen, you will see a column of
numbers from 1-10 and will be prompted to enter message text. You
may enter straight text, ARL numbered text and/or NMAT num- bered
text.
To enter "straight" text, merely type in the text as you would in
a word processor. ARL and NMAT numbers may be entered as needed
anywhere in the text, i.e. NMAT: EVERYTHING OK ARL 60 NMAT
TWELVE LOVE
WARNING: BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PLACE PERIODS. MARSGRAM!
WILL BE UNABLE TO INTERPRET "NMAT 8" OR "NMAT EIGHT". THE
NMAT OR ARL TEXT MUST BE SEPARATED BY A SPACE OR <CR> FROM
ALL OTHER TEXT.
As you can see, you may enter ARL or NMAT numbers by entering the
figures or by typing out the numbers. MARSGRAM! will interpret
the numbered text and replace it with the appropriate wording.
When all text has been entered, type CTRL-Z <CR> to terminate
text entry mode.
At this point,the header of the message will appear on screen,
the header being all from date-time-group to the first BT. You
will be asked to enter the number of the item to be changed. If
you wish to change any item, enter the number and press <CR>.
Enter the new data for that item and press <CR>. If no changes
are desired, press <CR>.
The text you have entered will again appear on screen. This
however, any ARLs and/or NMATs that have been entered will be
displayed in full, automatically.
In the example above, the text would be displayed on screen as:
ARRIVED SAFELY OKINAWA EVERYTHING OK WISHING YOU THE BEST OF
EVERYTHING ON ????? REPLY VIA NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS LOVE
In the lower portion of the screen the MARSGRAM EDITOR menu now
appears.
┌────────────────────┐
│ EDITING TEXT │
└────────────────────┘
The MARSGRAM EDITOR, while not very sophisticated, will allow you
to make corrections to text and changes to layout. The instruc-
tions that follow are brief, but should sufficient enough for you
to get going on editing. Work with the editor until you become
comfortable with its use.
After you have entered your message text, make any changes or if
no changes were required, enter "0" or <CR>. A screen will ap-
pear showing you your message with all ARL and NMAT abbreviated
text in fully interpreted form. You will also be told how many
ARL and NMAT texts were successfully interpreted by the program,
as well as how many ARLs and/or NMATs require added text. This
would occur when entering ARL SIXTY, for example.
The MARSGRAM EDITOR menu will also appear allowing you the fol-
lowing options:
DELETE TEXT
INSERT TEXT
MOVE TEXT
RESEQUENCE TEXT
EXIT EDITOR
If no editing is required, make sure that the EXIT EDITOR option
is selected and enter <CR>. If you wish to edit text, select the
menu option you want with the cursor up/down keys and press
<CR>.
DELETING TEXT: Move the highlight bar to DELETE TEXT and press
<CR>. Let's assume that we wish to add, "MOTHERS DAY" after ARL
60 that you have entered in the text.
First, we must delete the "?????" in the ARL text, "WISHING YOU
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ON ?????". After entering the Delete
mode, you will be prompted "Delete from what Line Number?" Enter
the line number on which the ????? is located, press <CR>.
Now, at the bottom of the screen, you will see the line of text
for which you entered the line number above. Each word will
have a number above.
You are now prompted to, "Delete from what Word?" Enter the num-
ber above the "?????" and press <CR>. You will then be prompted
to, "Delete to What Line Number?" You will delete only one word
(the ????? in this case), press <CR>. When you are prompted to,
"Delete to What Word?" enter <CR>. The ????? should disappear.
To delete more than one word or more than one line, simply enter
the appropriate line and word number when asked to do so.
INSERTING TEXT: The MARSGRAM EDITOR works basically the same for
inserting text as for deleting text. You will be prompted for
the new text to be inserted, and then prompted for the Line num-
ber and Word number of where the text is to be inserted. Simply
follow the prompts as indicated.
NOTE: Be sure to enter a blank space before the new text you
type in if it is to follow a word. Otherwise, the ex- isting
text and the new text will run together.
If you wish to insert a word(s) at the beginning of a line of
text, use the following procedure: Precede the word(s) to be
inserted with two ampersand "&&" signs. For example, if a line
of text reads, "BEST WISHES" and you wish to add the words, "GOOD
LUCK", select INSERT TEXT from the editor menu. When prompted,
enter your additional text as follows:
&&GOOD LUCK
and press <CR>. Enter the number of the line into which the new
text is to be inserted when prompted. When you are asked to
enter the number of the word after which the insertion is to be
made, enter "1" and <CR>.
MOVE TEXT: Moving text works just like deleting and inserting
text. This feature is generally used to move lines of text.
RESEQUENCE TEXT: The feature, which works the same as the other
EDITOR features, allows you to move words. For example, if one
line of text is very short while others are much longer, you may
use this option to move words to even out line length.
EXIT EDITOR: Select this option to move to the PRINT Menu.
┌──────────────────┐
│ PRINT MENU │
└──────────────────┘
To select any of the following print options, move the highlight
bar to the option and press <CR>.
COMPUTER MARSGRAM FORMS
PIN-FEED Plain Paper
SAVE MARSGRAM TO FILE
RETURN TO EDITOR
SPECIAL OPTIONS
When you select the first or second option, you will be prompted
to make sure your printer is loaded with paper. When ready to
print, enter <CR>.
PRINTING COMPUTER MARSGRAMS: Because of the differences in
printers and their setups, a little experimentation is required
here to assure proper vertical alignment. Insert the MARSgram
form in the printer then press <CR>.
NOTE: The address side of the MARSgram will print first.
When the address side has printed, insert the text side of the
form and press <CR>. The form will print continue printing.
PRINT FILE COPY: After the MARSgram has printed, or during the
print process if your printer has a print buffer, you will be
asked if you wish to print a file copy. Move the highlight bar
to "YES" or "NO" and press <CR>. You may print as many file
copies as you need.
When finished printing, you will be returned to the main menu.
PRINTING PIN-FEED PLAIN PAPER MARSGRAMS: MARSGRAM! includes this
feature to allow for printing of MARSgrams (including the full
header and address side) when you have exhausted your sup- ply of
the computer forms and haven't been able to get any more (or, if
like the author of the program, it's not real easy to change from
tractor feed to the sheet feeder and back again!).
The printing process here requires two sheets of pin-feed paper.
The address side is printed on one sheet, the text portion on the
other. As when printing computer forms, the address side will
print first, followed by the text side. You may have to adjust
the paper's vertical positioning for proper alignment. You may
also print file copies when using this option.
Note that the address printed side of the form has dashes printed
to aid in folding the MARSgram in thirds for mailing.
When finished printing, press <CR> to return to the main menu.
SAVE MARSGRAM TO FILE: This option will allow you to handle
several messages, one after the other. Simply save the MARSgram
to disk and come back for printing or addition editing later.
When you select this option, the MARSgram will be saved to the
directory you specified in the Setup File. Each MARSgram will
be saved as file MG???.TXT. Where "???" equals a number from
000-999.
When you select this option and press <CR>, the message will be
automatically saved to disk with the "MG" prefix, and will be
numbered sequentially. The ".TXT" extension will also be added
automatically.
RETURN TO EDITOR: Here is your last chance to make any final
changes in the message before saving or printing the MARSgram.
Select this option and press <CR> to return to the Editor.
If you decide not to complete the MARSgram, press the <ESC> key
to return to the Main Menu.
SPECIAL OPTIONS: Because of the many options available, this
selection is covered separately below.
┌────────────────────────┐
│ SPECIAL OPTIONS │
└────────────────────────┘
When you select this menu item, you are presented with the
following menu:
APPEND MARSGRAM TO PRINT FILE
PRINT MARSGRAM FORM USING SHEET FEEDER
PRINT PLAIN PAPER USING SHEET FEEDER
CHANGE PRINTER DEFINITION FILE
APPEND MARSGRAM TO PRINT FILE: After entering messages from the
keyboard or bring them up from a saved traffic run, you may save
them to a special file called MARSGRAM.LIS which is created by
the MARSGRAM! Program when you select this option.
In order to print MARSgrams using a sheet feeder or print MARS-
grams using pin-feed paper in "stacks" you MUST save the
messages to the MARSGRAM.LIS file first. Select this option
and press <CR> for the MARSgram you have just completed. A
message will appear advising you that the MARSgram is being
saved, after which you will be returned to the Main Menu to
take or bring up another message.
PRINT MARSGRAM FORM USING SHEET FEEDER: When you are ready to
print the MARSgrams using standard MARSgram computer forms,
stack them in the sheet feeder address side up. Select this
option and press <CR>. The address side of all messages in the
file will be printed after which you will be prompted to turn
the stack over. Do so and press <CR>. The text side of the
stack will now be printed.
You are now given the option to print file copies. Select YES
and press <CR> to do so. Otherwise, select NO and you will be
asked if you wish to elete the MARSGRAM.LIS file. You should DE-
LETE the file at this time. If you do not, messages you work on
the next time will be appended to the file and ALL MARSgrams in
the file will be printed. Be deleting the file after each ses-
sion, you will start "fresh" the next time. The Program will
always create the file automatically when you select APPEND
MARSGRAM TO PRINT FILE from this menu.
PRINT PLAIN PAPER USING SHEET FEEDER: This option works much
like PRINT MARSGRAM FORM USING SHEET FEEDER. The major dif-
ference is that you will print all messages in the MARSGRAM.LIS
file, address side first, then tear off the pin-feed paper or
turn over the plain paper in the sheet feeder and re-insert it
after flipping it over and swapping it end-for-end. Fol- low
the prompts as above.
CHANGE PRINTER DEFINITION FILE: If, for some reason, you wish
to use a printer other than the default printer you specified in
Setup, you may do so here. Move the highlighted bar to this
option, press <CR> and follow the prompts.
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ RUN NMAT ONE FROM KEYBOARD │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
This section of the program makes entering standard NMAT ONE data
entry fast and easy from the keyboard as certain entries have been
automated. Enter the data when prompted as follows:
ENTER DATE-TIME GROUP: Enter DTG as received.
ENTER NAME OF SENDER: Enter the Private's name. You need NOT
enter "PVT" as the program does it for you. However, if you
really want to do so, go ahead. MARSGRAM! will not send a mes-
sage from PVT PVT John Doe; one of the PVTs is ignored.
NOTE: When entering data for the following items, use the
procedure outlined under RUN TEXT MARSGRAM FROM KEYBOARD
above.
ENTER ADDEE NAME, ENTER ADDEE LINE, ENTER ADDEE ADDRESS LINE
2, ENTER ADDEE CITY, ENTER ADDEE ZIP CODE, ENTER ADDEE PHONE
NUMBER.
IMPORTANT! You may enter F2 at this point (before pressing <CR>
to switch to an ALL TEXT message format.
ENTER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: You may enter the Social Security
number with or without "-". The program will automatically enter
them where required.
ENTER PLATOON NUMBER: You need enter only the numbers, i.e.
"1002" and press <CR>. MARSGRAM! will insert "PLT for you.
ENTER COMPANY: You need only enter the company letter, i.e. "A"
and press <CR>. MARSGRAM! will insert "CO" for you.
That's it!!! EVERYTHING else is entered for you automatically
by the program, right through NMAT TWELVE.
Follow the same procedures outlined above under RUN TEXT MARS-
GRAM FROM KEYBOARD for editing, if necessary, and printing.
MORE THAN ONE NMAT ONE: If you are entering more than one NMAT
ONE, the program makes it even easier to do so. After you have
printed or saved your MARSgram and returned to the main menu,
again select RUN NMAT ONE FROM KEYBOARD. You will note that all
information from the previous data entry remains in effect. The
only items you MUST change are the date-time group and Social
Security number. Of course, you will probably change most items
except, perhaps, the PLT number and CO designator.
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ RUN MARSGRAMS FROM A FILE │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
When you select this menu item, you are presented with the fol-
owing options:
RECALL SAVED MARSGRAM
LOAD MARSGRAM FROM SAVED TRAFFIC RUN
SPECIAL PRINT MENU
Move the highlight bar to your selection and press <CR>.
┌──────────┐
│IMPORTANT!│ When using MARSGRAM! to process a saved traffic
└──────────┘ file, keep the following points in mind:
1> Your traffic file must be saved as an ASCII file.
2> The file must be "clean". That is, it should be free of
hits. You may have the run the file through your word processor
and clean it up. While the built in editor may be used to make
corrections, insertions, deletions and text re-allignment, MARS-
GRAM!, nor any other program of this type can read and process
garbage. Be sure to re-save the file as an ASCII file using your
word processor's non-document mode.
3> If, when attempting to process a traffic file, you receive
the error message, "Unable to find UNCLAS" it is probably
because the broadcast station used a program to prepare the
traffic that sends certain codes MARSGRAM! is unable to inter-
pret. Run the traffic file through your word processor and
editor to delete extra line feeds. In other words, make the
file single spaced.
RECALL SAVED MARSGRAM: You will be prompted to enter the number
of the MARSgram you wish to print. You may enter the number in
several ways, all of which will recall it from the file. You
may enter, for example:
MG001.TXT MG001 001 1
or whatever the number may be. For a directory of the messages
you have saved, press <CR>. If you wish to return to the Main
Menu without recalling any MARSgram, press <ESC>.
NOTE: Since the directory listing will contain a listing
such as "MG001.TXT, MG002.TXT, MG003.TXT) etc., it is sug-
gested that you note the number assigned to each saved
message when you select the SAVE MARSGRAM option from the
Print Menu.
Pressing <CR> after reviewing the directory will bring you back
to the prompt asking you to enter the number for the message you
wish to recall. Enter the number assigned to the saved MARSgram
and press <CR>.
You may now DELETE the MARSgram you have selected. This allows
you to "clean up" your file periodically. Press <CR>, and the
saved MARSgram will be DELETED. To continue working on the
selected MARSgram, press "N" or move the highlight bar to NO and
press <CR>. The MARSgram will appear on screen and you can
continue as with previous Main Menu Selections. Note that the
MARSgram is read before it it deleted! You can Delete it from
the disk, Edit it and Print it. You need not go back later to
Delete it.
After making your choice, you are prompted to enter the number
of the item in the message you wish to change. From here on, you
may continue just as if you were entering a MARSgram from
the keyboard.
LOAD MARSGRAM FROM SAVED TRAFFIC RUN: After selecting this
option, you will be prompted to:
ENTER NAME OF THE MARSGRAM DISK FILE
Enter the filename where your traffic run has been stored. You
can include a full path name if you wish.
Now, you will be prompted to search for:
MESSAGE NUMBER
DATE-TIME GROUP
SELECT NEW MARSGRAM DISK FILE
SEARCH FILE BY MESSAGE NUMBER: Enter the traffic run message
number, including the broadcast station 3-letter call, such as,
"GFH 013" <CR>. MARSGRAM! now searches your traffic file and
will display the message you have selected. At this point, only
the message data to the first BT is displayed. You are asked:
IS THIS THE CORRECT MARSgram?
If it is the correct message, press "Y" <CR> and continue with
editing or printing of the message just as before. If you enter
"N" the program will search for the next message with the number
you entered. You need enter the broadcast station call once;
MARSGRAM! will "remember" the callsign for the next messages you
enter during the current session. You may enter only the figures
of the next message you will work with.
You will see item 12 EXPAND LOCATION appear on screen along with
the from/to data. If you wish to have the geographic location
of the message print out completely, enter 12 <CR> when asked to
enter item to change. By using this option, OA will print out as
Okinawa, JA will print as Japan, etc.
NOTE: This option prints ONLY geographic locations for the most
common areas from which we receive messages. It does NOT print
the geographic location for the states.
SEARCH BY DATE-TIME GROUP: If selecting this option, enter the
date- time group of the message you wish to print, i.e. 051830Z
FEB 89 and press <CR>. Again MARSGRAM! searches your traffic
file. When the message is found, all information to the first BT
will be displayed. Follow the same procedure as for SEARCH FILE
BY MESSAGE NUMBER and complete work on your MARSgram as before.
SELECT NEW MARSGRAM DISK FILE: This selection will allow you to
choose another traffic run file to work on.
┌───────────────────┐
│ ENTER SETUP │
└───────────────────┘
You may select this option to make any changes or corrections to
the setup file. Again, the first time you run the MARSGRAM!
Program, if a setup file does not exist, you are automatically
placed in the setup file.
┌────────────┐
│ EXIT │
└────────────┘
Selecting EXIT will, of course, terminate the program and put you
back at the system prompt.
┌────────────────┐
│ APPENDIX │
└────────────────┘
LIST OF ERROR MESSAGES AND EXPLANATION
A choice of 0 or <CR> is not legal here.
In the editor, you entered 0 or carriage return when a num-
ber was required.
Bad DATE-TIME GROUP!
The program expects the DATE-TIME GROUP to be in the format
DDTTTTZ MMMYY where DD is the day of the month, TTTT is the
zulu time, MMM is the three-letter abbreviation for the
month, and YY is the last two digits of the year. Since
this is vital to know for any service messages that may
have to be sent to follow up on a message, there is exten-
sive error checking done to make sure that the DATE-TIME-
GROUP makes sense. If you get this message, you have
entered a bad DATE-TIME-GROUP or read a bad one from a
message file.
Bad Saved MARSgram file name! Try again.
The filename that you entered to recover a saved MARSgram
cannot be converted into a filename of the sort MGnnn.TXT
where nnn is a number between 001 and 999.
Error [some number] opening file [filename]
You tried to open a file and got some error other than File
not found. Check you DOS manual to find out the meaning of
the error.
Error processing MARSGRAM FROM line.
Attempting to continue A string error occurred in handling
the FROM line of a MARSgram. Chances are that the FROM line
has a hit and it is shorter than the program expects. Cor-
rect the FROM line information (Sender Name, Location of
Origin, Originating Station) at the Message Information
screen.
Error processing MARSGRAM TO line. Attempting to continue.
Essentially the same error as "Error processing MARSGRAM
FROM line.
Error reading DTG or Message Header, continuing...
The program is searching for a message in a saved traffic
file and found a line in the message that should contain
either then message number or DATE-TIME GROUP. However,
the line doesn't make sense to the program. This may or
may not be the message for which you are searching, but the
program lets you know about it just in case it is. Since
the program does not know if this is the message you want,
it keeps looking, because it probably isn't (unless you're
being bitten by Murphy).
File not found. Check path/file name.
Should be self explanatory.
Invalid Line/Word Choice! Try again.
In the editor, you entered a line number or word number
that doesn't exist.
Line longer than [some number] characters! Re-enter.
When entering text (probably to an area of MARSGRAM mes-
sage information, you attempted to enter a line of text
that is too long for the MARSGRAM form or screen display.
Enter a shorter version.
Limit insert text to 70 characters or less.
You tried to insert a string of text into the MARSGRAM text
that was more than 70 characters long. If you must do this,
do it in two or more pieces.
MARSGRAM.DAT non-existent or incomplete.
When starting the program looks for the file MARSGRAM.DAT
in the default directory. It then reads the setups that
you have chosen from this file. If you have selected a
different default directory than the one from which you
have started MARSGRAM!, or if an End-of- File is encounter-
ed while reading setups, or if you have not created (or
have deleted) MARSGRAM.DAT, then you will get this error
mesage. After this message is displayed, you will auto-
matically enter the SETUP mode.
Message is too large! Re-enter...
When entering message text, you attempted to enter a mes-
sage that would take over 10 lines. The MARSGRAM! program
can only handle 10 lines of message text. Try re-entering
your message with fewer hard returns in it. If you allow
the program to format the lines, you may find that you can
squeeze the message onto 10 lines. If you still can't do
it, then a manual MARSgram is in order. The limitation is
due to the fact that the is in order. The limitation is
due to the fact that the development software (Borland Turbo
Basic) does not really support ment software (Borland Turbo
Basic) does not really support split screens, so there is
no easy way to allow scrolling the top half of the screen
(the text area) while leaving the bottom half. In In a
future version of MARSGRAM!, I hope to do away with this
limitation.
Message Origin too long; truncating.
Suspect hits in copy. This results from an error in proces-
sing the FROM line. The program finds too much text between
the FM and the / in the message. What the program thinks is
the location of origin is cut down to fit the space avail-
able. You probably took a hit in your copy.
Message too long or BT or NNNN not found.
Edit manually. The program read 10 lines of what it thought
was message text without finding the end of that text (BT or
NNNN). You have either a longer message than the program
can handle, or you took a hit that wiped out the end of the
message. if this is the case, you probably have some of the
header of the ext message in the text of this message.
No file [filename] found.
In retrieving a saved MARSgram, a legitimate filename
string was entered, but that file does not exist in the
specified directory.
No Originating Station found in FROM LINE
The FROM line was found, but no / character was found in
it. The MARSGRAM! program searches the FROM line for the /
and uses everything to the right of it as originating sta-
ion and location. This information will have to be entered
manually.
No word in a MARSGgram is that long!
Get serious! When entering text into the MARSgram message,
you entered more than 70 characters without a space.
Path to [filename] not found
When trying to read a saved MARSGRAM or save a MARSGRAM,
the program was unable to find the directory specified.
Requested MARSGRAM not found.
When searching for a MARSGRAM from a saved traffic run, the
MARSGRAM that you were looking for was not found. If you
were looking for a specific message number, the program
looks for the letters DE followed by the message number. If
you were looking for a specific DATE-TIME-GROUP the program
looks for the letter R followed by the DATE-TIME-GROUP. Pos-
sible causes of this error are a bad message number (should
be something like ABC 001, not just 001), a hit on the DE
or R, a hit on or incorrect message number or DATE-
TIME GROUP.
The message generated during resequencing is too long
The resequence option was selected and the re-
sulting message is more than 10 lines long.
There is no text on that line!
You tried to do something with the editor that requires text
to be on a specified line and it was a blank line.
Unable to Auto-resequence after move, try manual resequence
When moving text, the editor will automatically resequence
text from the line that you moved text into as far as it
needs to in order to get the text to fit. If the resulting
message is more than 10 lines long, you get this message.
You may be able to recover by doing a manual resequence of
the entire message text.
Unable to find CITY!
The program found what it thinks is the zip code, but the
character immediately before the zip is not a space; it
realizes that it's not where it thinks it is! Correct the
message header manually.
Unable to find Date-Time-Group. Continuing...
A message is being accessed by message number in a saved
traffic run. The Message number was found, but the program
was unable to find a line beginning with the letter R fol-
lowed by the DATE-TIME-GROUP. Correct this manually at the
message information display.
Unable to find FROM line; continuing...
The program found the message that you were looking for, but
it did not find a line beginning with the letters FM. This
line includes the name of the sender, the place of origin,
the originating station, and the location of the originating
station. Be sure and enter this at the message information
screen.
Unable to find PHONE NUMBER!
The program thought that it was at the line that should con-
tain the phone number, but when it looked at the text, it
was nonnumeric or did not contain the text UNK. Enter
manually.
Unable to find TO Line! Cannot handle this message header!
The MARSGRAM! program was unable to find a line beginning
with TO. This means that it also cannot find the address
and phone number information of the addee. This information
will have to be entered manually.
Unable to find UNCLAS in message; enter text manually!
The program looks for the word UNCLAS in the message text.
If it is not found, the program doesn't really know where
the header ends and the message text begins. You will have
to enter the text yourself.
Unable to find ZIP CODE!
The program looks for a string of numbers at the end of a
line that it thinks contains the city and state. If the
string of numbers is not there, this message is displayed.
Enter manually.
You have 999 old MARSGRAMS on file. Delete some before
continuing!
The program allows saved MARSGRAMS from MG001.TXT to
MG999.TXT. If all numbers from 001 to 999 have files on your
disk, it is unable to save your message. Either delete some
of your saved messages or de- fine a new default directory
in which to save them. If this number is a serious limita-
tion to anyone, let me know. It's not engraved in stone that
there can only be 999 saved messages, but that's a lot of
saved MARSGRAMS to keep track of.
Error formatting NMAT ONE MARSgram; Text needs Manual edit
The program is processing a MARSgram from a saved traffic
run that happens to be an NMAT ONE MARSgram and the program
encountered some error condition that it couldn't handle.
Make sure hits are removed from saved traffic runs before
attempting to use MARSGRAM! on them.
Illegal character in printer code
This error occurs when setting up printer codes. You tried
to enter a a numeric character (a character not enclosed in
quotes) that had a character that was not a number, or one
whose value was greater than 255.
Invalid Social Security Number
A SSN number was entered with an illegal number of
characters.
[Some Filename] not found; will be created.
You are editing a printer definition file and specified the
name of a file that the program can't find. This is not
necessarily an error if you are creating a new printer file.
┌──────────────────────┐
│ FINAL COMMENTS │
└──────────────────────┘
WHAT MARSGRAM! WILL NOT DO: This program is not designed to
allow the entry of multi-addee or book messages. Those are best
handled by other means.
Also, MARSGRAM! assumes that the precedence of all messages will
be "Routine", since messages of higher precedence are normally
delivered by telephone.
And finally, it is assumed that the MARSgrams will be mailed
within your area. Therefore, where the state abbreviation is to
be printed, the Program takes that abbreviation from the setup
file. If there appears to be sufficient need to do so, this
limitation can be eliminated in a future release.
Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions and of any bugs you
may find. As with any program, it is hoped that future releases
can be made even better.
Please use the form provided with this documentation to provide
any information concerning the program.
If you find a problem when the program is reading a traffic file,
please send along the file on disk and note how you asked MARS-
GRAM! to search the file; by traffic run number or by date-time
group, along with any\ specific details that might be helpful.
You might include, with your Bug Report, a print screen showing
just what you entered and what happened.
Remember, when extracting messages from a traffic run file, you
may wish to use your word processor to "clean up" the traffic.
Be sure to then save the file as a non-document or ASCII file.
If you are using a printer other than one included on the Program
disk, please make a "print screen" of the codes you entered in
the printer setup file and return it to NNN0FBP, along with the
make/model of the printer. A new printer file will be created and
included on future distribution copies for others to use.
Mail the form to:
Larry Schuldt NNN0QHD
3123 Northwest Rd.
Marengo, IL 60152-9192
Thanks and enjoy!
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ REVISION HISTORY │
└─────────────────────────┘
CHANGES FROM 2.2 TO 2.3
1> MARSGRAM! can now handle 9-digit zip codes in the addee line.
2> A new option was added to the message info display. Option
12 allows expansion of the 2-letter code for the location of
origin. For instance, OA is expanded to OKINAWA, CU become
CUBA, etc. This is only for overseas and afloat locations.
CHANGES FROM V2.1 TO 2.2
1> Due to an error that slipped in when code was being
rearranged for V2.0, when an NMAT ONE MARSGRAM was entered
from keyboard and things had to be changed (i.e., zip code),
the change would not be updated to the message text. Fixed
in V2.2
2> When entering NMAT ONE messages from the keyboard, MARSGRAM
would look up the wrong zip code for K CO and L CO and come
up with no zip code for M CO. Fixed in V2.2
3> A number of people were having problems with the vertical
positioning of the paper for different printers. It seems
that different printers seem to want different top margins,
making it difficult to set the paper up so the address
prints in the right place, for instance. The number of line
feeds that the printer makes has been made a setup feature
for each printer in this version.
4> MARGRAM! can now handle nine digit addee zip codes.
CHANGES FROM V2.0 TO 2.1
1> When searching for MARSgrams by message number in a saved
traffic run, it is no longer necessary to give the entire
message number every time (ex. ABC 010). Give the entire
message number the FIRST time. After the first *successful*
search, MARSGRAM! will remember the prefix (in this case
ABC). Then, to find any other message, enter the full
message number (ex. ABC 011) or the number field (11 or
011). MARSGRAM! will expand the number field to the full
message number and search for it. Also, if the message is
not found, the error message has been expanded to let you
know what the program was looking for. If you were
searching for a specific message number, the error message
reads "MARSgram (full message number) not found". If by
Date-Time Group, the message reads "MARSgram (Date-Time
Group) not found.
2> When entering the MARSgram message info section, it is now
possible to switch between NMAT ONE and straight text
MARSgrams on the fly. Use F1 when you want to switch to
NMAT ONE MARSgrams. If you find you have selected NMAT ONE
MARSgrams and you really want to handle a straight text
MARSgram, use F2. These changes can be made up until the
point when you will be entering the NMAT ONE info. Once you
are at the point of entering a Social Security Number, it's
too late....
CHANGES FROM V1.1-1 TO V 2.0
1> When entering MARSgrams from the keyboard, if you get
the DATE-TIME GROUP wrong, you are not forced to re-
enter it before you can proceed. A message is
displayed, but the program continues. This way, you
can continue with the other message info and not miss
it.
2> The SETUPS have changed a lot. When entering the SETUP
option, you have a new menu. One is the standard
setups as before. The other one allows you to set up
printer codes to correspons with YOUR printer.
3> The Print Option has been changed. A new choice is
added to the Print Menu; that of Special Options.
These Special Options allow you to:
a> Append the MARSgram you are currently working
on to a file. This file is named
MARSGRAM.LIS. When you have several
MARSGRAMs to print (best with a sheet
feeder), you may place all the MARSgrams in
one file.
b> Print using a sheet feeder. If you have a
sheet feeder on your printer, you may select
this option. Using it, the address sides of
all MARSgrams in MARSGRAM.LIS are printed.
You are then prompted to turn the paper over.
The program then prints the text sides and
asks you if you want to delete the file when
finished.
c> Select other printer file. Normally, upon
entering the print routine for the first
time, the program loads the file
DEFPRNTR.PTR, which is a file describing the
codes of the DEFAULT printer to the program.
If you have another printer that you like to
use, just specify the name of the file
containing the printer codes to be loaded at
this option.
4> An overall attempt has been made to improve the flow of
MARSgram entry. In previous versions of MARSGRAM!,
when entering a MARSgram from the keyboard, you were
asked if you wanted to make changes in the Message
Information fields before you could enter the message
text. Program flow has been re-arranged so that the
MARSgram can be completely entered BEFORE you are asked
if you want to make any corrections. This should
prevent you from missing message text because you got
(for instance) the ADDDE's CITY wrong and had to
correct it before you could continue.
5> The setup procedure for colors has been greatly
simplified.
CHANGES FROM V1.1 TO V1.1-1
A minor problem was found and fixed which caused the
first character in the call of the originating station
to be dropped when retrieving a message from a saved
traffic run.
CHANGES FROM V1.0-1 TO V1.1
1> A "hot key" was added to the program to allow returning
to the Main Menu from any point in the program with the
exception of the SETUP routine. If a user makes a
wrong choice, he no longer has to go through several
entries before the menu allows him to return to the
Main Menu.
2> When processing MARSgrams from a saved traffic run, the
decoding of the FROM line has been improved. This has
been done as follows:
a. The program understands the term MCAS as well
as CAMP. If it sees either of these in the
FROM line of a MARSgram, it will break the
line there.
b. The program understands initials. If it does
not find the words MCAS or CAMP in the FROM
line, it will search for initials (take the
example of the line PVT A B C DEE SAN DIEGO
CA/NNNOMSD SCA. The program would realize
that the one letter words A, B, and C were
initials. It would then find the next word
AFTER the initials, and make the decision
that the SENDERS NAME was PVT A B C DEE and
that the message origin was SAN DIEGO CA.
3> When processing NMAT ONE MARSgrams from a saved traffic
run, the program checks the first line of message text
for the string NMAT ONE. If it finds it, it enters a
special subroutine to format the MARSgram the same way
that NMAT ONE MARSgrams are formatted when entered from
the keyboard. **NOTE** It is very likely that if the
text area took a hit during the traffic run and
requires editing, that the editor will remove one or
more of the empty lines. This is unavoidable with the
present editor. To prevent this happening, clean up
your hits before using MARSgram! on a saved traffic
run.
CHANGES FROM V1.0 TO V1.0-1
1> A couple places where the code could hang were found
and (I hope) fixed.
2> The option to SAVE a MARSgram to a file would hang on
'true blue' PCs if the printer was turned off or was
off line. I believe this has been fixed.
3> The algorithm used to break up the FROM line in a saved
traffic run has been changed. It will now search for
the word CAMP in the FROM line as before. If the word
CAMP does not exist, it will assume that the location
of message origin is one word long and to the left of
the slant bar. NOTE: If anyone has any ideas for a
reasonably reliable algorithm to seperate the location
from the sender's name in the FROM line of a MARSgram,
I'd love to hear it.
4> There is an extra blank line and the words MESSAGE
TEXT: above the message text area on a MARSGRAM
┌────────────────────┐
│ REGISTRATION │
└────────────────────┘
If you found MARSGRAM! helpful, why not complete the registra-
tion form below and return it as soon as possible. A donation in
any amount you feel appropriate will be most apprec iated and will
be used to acquire improved/updated programming tools which will,
in turn, be used to improve MARSGRAM!.
When you register, you will be placed on a mailing list and
notified when new Releases of MARSGRAM! are made available.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ REGISTRATION FORM ║
║ ║
║To receive mail notification of new versions of MARSGRAM!, ║
║please complete and return this form: Print or type inform- ║
║mation. ║
║ ║
║DATE: _________ RELEASE # _______ MARS CALLSIGN: _________ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║NAME: __________________________ PHONE: (____)_____________ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║CITY: ______________________ STATE: ______ ZIP: __________ ║
║ ║
║(OPTIONAL) ║
║DONATION ENCLOSED $__________ ║
║Make checks payable to: Larry Schuldt. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
┌──────────────────┐
│ BUG REPORT │
└──────────────────┘
Please use this form to submit your comments, suggestions or
advise of any bugs you may find. Mail to: Larry Schuldt,
NNN0QHD, 3123 Northwest Rd., Marengo, IL 60152-0102
================================================================
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE
NAME: ______________________ MARS CALLSIGN: ___________________
ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________
CITY: _____________________ STATE: ____ ZIP: __________________
PHONE NUMBER: (____)_____________ RELEASE VERSION # ___________
================================================================
What were you trying to do?
What happened?
Is it repeatable; i.e., does it happen every time you do the same
thing?
What is your hardware setup?
If you had the program fail when using a saved traffic run,
please put a copy of it on floppy, so the failure can be
duplicated and analyzed.
If the program doesn't print correctly with your printer, please
also enclose a photocopy of the codes that your printer wants to
see for the different print styles/commands. This can usually be
found in the printer manual.
┌───────────┐
│ END │
└───────────┘