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Text File | 1993-10-03 | 20KB | 349 lines

QQSL(tm) REVISION HISTORY (Last five versions) ========================= Version 5.5 (10/03/93): - The Add/Create form now accepts 29 different modes! Compare this figure to the previous version, which accepted only 6. At the "Mode:" prompt, enter '?' (without the quotes) to see the first mode menu. If you are a serious satellite fan, select (More) from the bottom of this first menu to see the satellite mode menu. Note that I'm not familiar with all the satellite modes, so this second menu might not be all it could be! If you see any errors or potential enhancements for either menu, let me know. And, if I later use your suggestions, I'll send you a free upgrade when the version containing your suggestions is ready for distribution. - "Auto sort before print" has been added to the configuration screen. If this parameter is set to 'Y', the label file will automatically sort into "Callbook" order before printing. If it is set to 'N', the label sequence will be unchanged before printing, although the user may still use the Sort command from the main menu before printing. - "Blank Labels at End" has also been added to the configura- tion screen. This parameter must be set with a single digit ranging from '0' through '9', which is used to determine the number of blank labels to be printed at the end of a job for those using dot matrix printers. Please note that this parameter has no effect for those configured for laser print- ers. Thanks to K1ER and AA4US for the idea! - The new Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series 4 is now supported. - K1EA (CT) and K8CC (NA) keep me constantly busy keeping up with the changes to their files each time they come out with a new version. Therefore, with this version of QQSL support is added for CT version 8.xx and NA version 7.xx. Unfortu- nately, at the same time I'm withdrawing support for CT versions older than 7.xx and NA versions older than 6.xx. In other words, only the last two major revisions of CT and NA will now be supported. Working with more than two major revisions for each program would be a horrendous task, real- ly! - The K1EA (CT) and K8CC (NA) Import functions have changed considerably. Check the index at the end of QQSL.DOC to find the page number for the "Import log file" section, in order to read about the new Import procedures. - When importing DXBase files, \DXB30 will now be searched for files, as well as \DXB20 and the current directory. Thanks to AB6FO for the tip! - QQSL.DOC now includes detailed instructions on how to import "RTTY by WF1B" QSO information. Check the index at the end of QQSL.DOC for the page number for "RTTY by WF1B". - The cOnfiguration screen input fields have been "tightened up" a bit. Give it a try - you'll see that some of the fields won't accept anything but valid entries! - The printing routine has also been "tightened up". The status of the printer is now checked before each and every character is printed, and a message is sent when an error condition is found. After the user corrects the condition, the program begins printing again with the same character that was being sent when the condition was discovered, there- by ensuring that no information is lost from any label. This should all be transparent to the user, but I thought might make interesting reading here <HI!>. - I discovered a rare situation which would cause "MHz" on a label to become "GHz" - fixed. - Back in version 5.2 I gave QQSL the capability of processing QSO's dated between the years 1945 and 2037. I decided that this was premature and have set things back the way they were (1945 - 1999 only). Sometime during the year 1999, I'll re-enable the capability of entering the years 2000 and above. Version 5.4 (02/25/93): - "MHz" is now a seven-position field on the Add/Create form. In other words, if you have a SSB QSO on 14.234 MHz, you may enter any of the following values and they will show on the label exactly as entered: 14, 14., 14.2, 14.23, 14.234, or 14.2340 (if you have an RX capable of reading to this degree of accuracy). Full validation criteria is shown in the "MHz" subsection of the QQSL.DOC file. Thanks to AA4US and K1ER for their suggestions! - QQSL now has the ability to print to LPT1 (normal default printer), LPT2, or LPT3. Thanks to KD6XM and K1ER for their suggestions, and especially to K1ER for beta testing the change. - The licensed version now includes an install program. Thanks to KE6XJ and K9APW for the inspiration. - CT has the capability to automatically log full frequency when the user's XCVR readout is being detected by CT and used while logging. I call this capability "auto-freq-detect", and think it is far superior to the user entering Alt-F1 or Alt-F2 to tell CT that bands have been changed. Not having a direct hookup at the home QTH though, I can only provide the capability to correctly import auto-freq-detect files if users send me samples. AJ0E and AB6FO did just that, and QQSL now correctly imports CT V8 DXpedition and ARRL 10-Meter contest logs created by auto-freq-detect users. If anyone else is using auto-freq-detect and finds that QQSL does not properly import other contest files, please provide me with a test file and I will add the capability to import the new format. Of course, the next upgrade for this user would then be sent without charge! - If you try to print an unsorted label file, QQSL will now give you the option to sort the file before continuing. - The QSOLOG.SDF file created by DXBASE may now be imported. This new capability was actually available in version 5.3, I just forgot to mention the fact in my HISTORY.DOC file <HI!>. - DXBASE files may now be imported from either the current or the \DXB20 directory. Thanks to AB6FO for the suggestions and for beta testing the change. - Labels created from DXBASE files will now show "Please QSL" for unconfirmed QSO's and "Thanks QSL" for those which you have already received a card. Thanks (again) to AB6FO for the suggestions and for beta testing the change. - The printer routines have been totally rewritten. This was done in order: 1) to provide better detection of printer problems, and 2) to simplify programming for all printer- related code. In most cases though, the user should not see any differences resulting from the new printer routines. - The print buffer for dot matrix printers is now being cleared prior to printing both alignment labels and QSO labels. This may cure the problem with some of the non-100% compatible printers starting with "garbage" on the first line of the first label. Thanks (again) to K1ER for beta testing the change. - I've eliminated the "CGA Snow Removal" parameter from the cOnfiguration form and added "QQSL Wallpaper" in its place. This new parameter adds the capability to turn on/off the QQSL's in the screen's background display. As for the loss of the other parameter, I've written QQSL in such a manner that it will automatically detect and eliminate snow as needed, but I'm not 100% sure that this will work in all cases. But, with the disappearance of CGA monitors as the standard some time ago (1987?) and the proliferation of EGA/VGA systems at reasonable prices, I doubt that anyone will miss this old parameter <HI!>. - The term "ASCII" in the Import Section in QQSL.DOC has been clarified. Thanks to KC4B for the suggestion. - I had it exactly backwards in version 5.3 - the year 2000 is a leap year, whereas 2100, 2200, and 2300 are not. Fixed, just in time - phew <HI>! Version 5.3 (09/15/92): - The price has been lowered again, this time to $14.95 (U.S. funds or 30 IRC's). Why, you ask? I've cut my advertising to the bone! Without this added expense, I was again able to lower my prices. For what it's worth though, it's HIGHLY unlikely that the price will ever be reduced again! - There have been unimaginable difficulties keeping the Import function current with the binary formats produced by K1EA's and K8CC's programs. Just to make things more difficult, K1EA recently came out with version 8 of CT, which I then discovered produced binary files totally incompatible with older versions of CT. Because of this and the difficulty in working with the older binary files, the binary import func- tion has been replaced by an ASCII import function. Overall, this new function will be easier to support and will be a more "usable" function for all users. Read the "Import" section in QQSL.DOC for a full description of this function. Check the index at the end of QQSL.DOC to find the page number for this section. - Support has added for version 8.xx ASCII files by K1EA. - Support has been withdrawn for all version 5.xx and older CT files by K1EA. If you are still using these older CT programs, convert the .BIN file using the CT's B2R program and import the resulting .RES file into QSL. - Support has been withdrawn for all version 4.xx and older NA programs by K8CC. These versions of NA were quite "buggy", so I would hope that there are no users still working with these older versions of NA anyhow! - 902 MHz has been changed to 903 in order to conform to the MHz designations assigned by K1EA's CT program. - The Import function counter window has been improved. - Wallpaper is now in sixteen colors, rather than eight. - The full QQSL screen now occupies 25 lines rather than 24. - An updated version of QQSL_CD is included with QQSL. - The configuration read/write routines have been strengthened, but this will be totally transparent to users <HI!>. - This release introduces "menu memory" - you'll now be automatically returned to the same menu item which you had previously selected. - If you executed QQSL from any directory other than the current and then attempted to [F6] permanently change your configuration, you found that you got an error message. Fixed! - I only just found out that the year 2,000 is the only year which is divisible by four but is NOT a leap year for the next 400 years! The date 29-02-2000 will now generate an error message. Version 5.2 (03/25/92): - The price to license QQSL has been reduced to $19.95. Why, you ask? The price had earlier been raised to $24.95 to help cover advertising costs in "QST" and "CQ", both of which are quite expensive! Since that time, I've decided to drop advertising in these two publications and concentrate on "Worldradio" and the "National Contest Journal" only. Since rates are much more reasonable in these two magazines, I'm passing along the savings to new QQSL purchasers. - Printer errors (off-line, power off, out of paper, etc.) are now processed by QQSL rather than by DOS. This is a nice improvement over seeing the notorious DOS message "(A)bort, (R)etry . . ." dropped on top of your QQSL screen, even though this essentially was just a cosmetic problem! Thanks to VE3SUN for the suggestion and to V73CT for the problem report. - Licensed users who execute a demonstration copy of QQSL and make temporary [F2] changes with the Configure QQSL menu command using their valid serial number, immediately followed by permanent [F6] changes to line 5 with the Modify menu command, discovered that their program was deleted at the start of their next session!! Fixed - and thanks to K1OIK for the bug report. - Users now have the option to show either "Please QSL" or "Thanks QSL" on labels imported from K1EA or K8CC files. Thanks to AJ0E, and particularly V73CT for prodding me into making this enhancement. - Laser printer users who execute the "aLign printer" command will now see a running count of the number of dummy labels as they are sent to the printer. Thanks to N2HOS - the impetus behind this enhancement! - Both the Sort function and the [F6] Save function on the Add/Create form have been speeded up. - QQSL had previously been written to process QSO's dated between the years 1945 and 1999. I decided to get a head start on the new century by extending the years for which QQSL will produce labels. QQSL can now handle the years 1945 through 2037, and I'll be happy to extend this period again if I'm still around in thirty years <HI!>. Note: Only one out of four centennial years (years divisible by 100 with no remainder) has a "leap day" in February. The year 2000 is one of these years, therefore 29/02/2000 will be accepted as a valid date by QQSL. - The "Quick Start" section of QQSL.DOC and the READ.ME file delivered with the demo and licensed copies of QQSL now discuss the "Modify lines 4/5" menu item. Thanks to V73CT for the idea. - The "aLign printer" command is now on the first menu, as well as the second. Version 5.1 (12/10/91): - The QQSLCFG program has been totally eliminated. QQSL con- figuration is now done directly from the QQSL main menu, and configuration changes may be saved temporary or permanently. If you have an old copy of QQSLCFG on your disk, you should delete it, since it may work with the new version of QQSL but the final configuration will be totally unpredictable and most likely harmful to your program! NOTE: Those of you who have used the old QQSLCFG program are going to find that you'll like the new configuration method a LOT! - The QQSL.INF file is no longer needed, as the Modify function now writes line 4 and 5 information directly back to the QQSL.EXE file. The QQSL.INF file from older versions of QQSL should now be deleted to free up a little disk space. - A newer version of the SORTF program is now included. You'll find that the Sort function is slightly faster than with the older version. - There is now a QQSLCD section in QQSL.DOC. - I've had sporadic reports of problems with the ending anima- tion from users with slower machines. Thanks to WB5ASD and others for pointing this out to me. Rather than "tinker" with code which serves no practical purpose, I simply removed the routine from QQSL. - Licensed users who enter "O" (oh) in the place of "0" (zero) when configuring their program will no longer be told that their serial number is invalid. - Call signs starting with three alphabetic characters will no longer be rejected. Thanks to KK6XN for pointing out to me that there ARE valid calls using this format. - AJ0E pointed out to me that when entering the FIRST label during a session, an entry in the SWL field would cause the entire label to revert to its default values! Fixed. - Version 4.1 (07/18/91) saw the elimination of the 3-label limit for non-licensed users. This experiment has turned out to be a total flop, as my income from QQSL has been at an all-time low since that date. Because of this and the fact that QQSL has been solely a commercial program since version 5.0 was released, the 3-label has been reinstalled into the demo version. - The HISTORY.DOC file is getting too big. From now on, I'll limit this file to only the last five versions. - Demo reminders for non-licensed users will no longer pop up during their QQSL sessions, although there will still be a demo reminder at the beginning and end of the non-licensed user's run.