SPACE 1/SPACE - Library 1 - Volume 1.iso/telecomm/309/flashdl.doc

Text File | 1987-04-12 | 11KB | 265 lines

                FLASH! Auto Batch Download Generator

                        rev. 2.0  4/1987
                          by Jinfu Chen

    This  program is a freeware,  you can used it freely  and  are
    encouraged to distribute to anyone.  However, it is prohibited
    to  sell  it for profit.  If you like to  contribute  you  are
    always welcome and can mail to:

    Jinfu Chen
    41 Riverbend Drive
    Yarmouth, Maine 04096
    I can also be reached at:
    BBS         207-854-2687  (MANIAC)
    CompuServe  72327,2434
    GEnie       J.CHEN

          Source  code  of  the  program  in  Personal  Pascal  is
    available  by sending a self-stamped envelop with a  formatted
    disk plus $10 to the above address.

        This program will generate a DO  file for  FLASH! to auto-
    logon to GEnie or CompuServe, download several files and auto-
    logoff.  Therefore you can browse thru the file library in one
    of  the networks and capture the filenames or file  numbers(in
    GEnie) and logoff,  then use this program to create a DO file,
    and  come back to Flash,  hit Alt-A then click on the DO  file
    and go off to do something else. It's very handy expecially if
    you  are  going  to download a lot of files.

        There  are several DO files available in both networks  to
    allow  you browse thru files,  it is best to use this  program
    with these DO files to save your online time.

        For  those of you who are familiar with revsion  1.0,  you
    will  notice there are many changes.  Actually the program  is
    rewritten  completely with GEM interface.  New  features  also
    include addition of CompuServe(including three major  networks
    access:  CompuServe itself,  Telnet,  and Tymnet). A LOGIN.DEF
    will be generated to save username(id),  password,  as well as
    network  phone numbers so that you don't have to type them  in
    every  time when using the program like in rev  1.0.

        To use the program,  just click on FLASHDL.PRG. First comes
    the  copyright title.  Then the program checks if there  is  a
    LOGIN.DEF  file  presented,  if does it will load in  all  the
    information   in  it,   including  username(or  id)  in   both
    CompuServe and GEnie,  passwords, and telephone access numbers
    to GEnie,  CompuServe, Telnet, and Tymnet. If this file is not
    in the same directory or you don't have one,  the program will
    create one with arbitoray information on it. You can edit them
    later(see  below).  LOGIN.DEF  also can be  resided  on  other
    directory if you want.









        Next a dialog box will come out with four buttons,  GENIE,
    COMPUSERVE,  HELP,  and QUIT.  If you click on GENIE,  another
    dialog  box  will come out with your  username,  password  and
    GEnie's telephone access number in it. If you are using it the
    first  time,  you  will have to change them to  whatever  they
    suppose to be. If they are correct, click on OK button or just
    hit  the  return  key  will  exit.  If  COMPUSERVE  option  is
    selected,  an  alert box will come out with three  options  of
    telephone access,  CompuServe,  Tymnet, and Telnet. Select the
    one  you would like to use(usually if there is a  CompuServe's
    local  access  node available you should choose  it  as  using
    Tymnet  or  Telnet will add $2.00/hour  surcharge).  Then  the
    logon  information dialog box will come out.  Again,  you  can
    edit  the information in it or just hit return key to skip  if
    they are correct. There is also a button to allow you save the
    capture to a log file when finished.

        Once  you  input proper logon  information,  then  a  file
    selector  will be on the screen asking for the DO filename  to
    be generated. The default name is CIS_DL.DO for CompuServe and
    GENEI_DL.DO  for  GEnie.  You can use whatever name  you  want
    obviously.

        The  next dialog box will ask which file you are going  to
    donwload from GEnie or CompuServe.  If it is from  GEnie,  the
    first line in the box can be a file number or filename of  the
    file to be downloaed from GEnie,  most people use file  number
    as  it's easier to remember.  The second line is the  filename
    you  would like to save the file into a disk.  When  finished,
    there are two ways to exit the box:  if you have more files to
    be download in one session,  you should click the  OK and MORE
    button(the default one,  i.e.  just hit the return key),  this
    will cause the dialog box come out again and ask for next file
    number(name);  if you have enough files to be downloaded,  the
    other  button   ENOUGH should be clicked.  There is  no  limit
    control  in  the  program so you can generated a  DO  file  to
    download one hundres files in one session but it is recommened
    not  to  do  so.  You should decide this  with  common  sense.
    Another point should be made is when finishing the first line,
    the easy way to go to the second line is to use the Tab key or
    the left arrow key or the down arrow key. Don't hit the return
    key  if  the  second line is not done as CR is  used  for  the
    default button, i.e, the  OK and MORE button.

        If you choose CompuServe,  the dialog box will be a little
    different.  There  is  only  one  filename  to  be  typed  in.
    CompuServe's filename is limited to one six characters long in
    name   and  three  more  in  extension.   For  simplicity   of
    programming and usage,  I choose to use the same name to  save
    the file to a disk. The second line is a download library name
    in CompuServe.  The format is DLn where n is a numerical value
    from 0 to 99. Currently in CompuServe's Atari16 SIG, there are
    DL0  to  DL9  and DL11 to DL13.  You will have to  type  in  a
    filename AS WELL AS the DLn correctly,  otherwise, the DO file
    won't  be  able to find a file in DL4 while it's  actually  in
    DL2(this is really your responsibility). Again, you can select
    the  (OK and MORE) or ENOUGH to exit the box.  The  DL  number
    will  remain  the  same as the last one if you  have  used  it








    already so it is recommanded to type in all the filenames in a
    same DL then type in the others in another DL and so  on.  You
    can, of course, create a DO file with this program to download
    a file in DL0 then switch to DL9 for another and come back  to
    DL0.  The  program is smart enough to generate swicth  library
    command  for  you  but  you will waste  time  to  do  so  when
    online(you know it costs $$$!).

        Once  it's done,  you will retun back to the  main  menu
    where you can choose GENIE,  COMPUSERVE,  HELP,  and QUIT. The
    HELP, well, you can find out by yourself.

        If  you look at the DO file the  program  genereated,  you
    will  find out the first line is used just to configurate  the
    terminal:

     >BA 1200|>ST ON|>TR OFF|>SB 1|>PY NONE|>XM 8 C R|>MO AT|>CA ON|

    The terminal is set to the following configuration:
         Baud rate       : 1200
         Strip bit       : On
         Stop bit        : 1
         Parity          : None
         Translation     : Off
         Xmodem          : 8 bit, CRC, 128 block
         Monitor         : Atari (VT52)
         Capture         : On

        It's not neccessory to do so everytime but I do it just in
    case  you  have  used some  rare  configuration  right  before
    calling GEnie or CompuServe. For 2400 baud and 300 baud users,
    you will have to delete the first command '>BA 1200' (sorry  I
    am  not in the fastest lane yet and say goodbye to  300  quite
    sometime ago).

        When  using  GEnie,  the DO file will have  a  command  to
    switch  to half duplex after logon(to hide your password  from
    screen).  When using CompuServe, the duplex will be in full so
    you really don't have to do it by yourself if you are  calling
    two networks back and forth. Also when using CompuServe the DO
    file will switch the terminal to Vidtex mode.


    Cautions when using this program:

    1.  Since  the  Flash!  DO file  is  a  wait-a-prompt-then-do-
    something  type,  it is very sensitive to the prompt the  host
    sends. This may be a problem when using CompuServe if you have
    customized prompts.  The DO file expects a standard ! prompt .
    If  you  are  using others,  either edit the  DO  file  before
    calling   or   change  the  prompts  back   to   the   default
    one(prefered).

    2. The DO files the program generated are for the CompuServe's
    Atari  ST  sig  (ATARI16)  as well as  the  GEnie's  Atari  ST
    RoundTable.   You  can  use  it  to  generate  DO  files   for
    CompuServe's  Atari  Developer  sig  (ATARIDEV)  and   GEnie's
    MichTron Roundtable as well.  To do so,  just create a DO file








    like  before  and change the 'go atari16' in a  CompuServe  DO
    file to 'go ataridev',  and the page number(476,  right  after
    your  password) in a GEnie DO file to  491(MichTron's  library
    page number).

    3.  The DO file the program generated will save files to  your
    default  path which is the same as the one Flash!  resides  if
    you have not set it other yet. You can set the default path to
    somewhere else by selecting the set path menu in  Flash!,  for
    example you can set it to a RAM disk to speed up saving  files
    as  long as you don't forget to copy files back to  floppy  or
    hard drive before turnning off the computer.

    4.  You should be aware of total file size to be download  and
    the  available  space  of the disk to  save  file(s).  If  you
    created  a  DO file to download 400k files total to  a  single
    sided  disk  formatted  at 360k,  you will pay  for  your  own
    consequency.

         Well,  that is all the features I can  think  off.  There
    mightbe more(an inside joke for bug). Let me how you like. The
    DO  file(s) can be used as a template also.  The way I  output
    the download sequence is a line per file so you can just  edit
    a DO file in any editor,  for instance,  the one in FLASH!  to
    create  a  quick DO file without using  this  program.  I  was
    plannig  to write an acc version but the final program is  too
    large  for an acc.  Things can be changed if there are  enough
    interestes. Enjoy downloading(don't forget to upload too!).

    Commercial Trademarks mentioned in this file:

    Atari ST, Flash!, CompuServe, GEnie, Personal Pascal.