The 640 MEG Shareware Studio 2/The 640 Meg Shareware Studio CD-ROM Volume II (Data Express)(1993).ISO/comm/scr104a.zip/BROWSE.ME

Text File | 1992-01-26 | 13KB | 288 lines

Thank you for assessing the Databeat program Scripta.

If you wish to continue using the program after an initial 14-day
evaluation period then please register it. It doesn't cost much
and, if you have a Credit Card, all it takes is two-minute weekend
phone call. We'll give you your registration number over the phone.

Please read the section on Registration in the Scripta User Manual.

All rights, world-wide, pertaining to this package, its contents,
its usage, or any other matter related to the Scripta package,
reside with the author: Gale Green, Databeat Limited, 210 Fowler Road,
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 8QP, United Kingdom.

By all means distribute this package to friends or by uploading
to BBSs and other online services but DO NOT distribute in any
form other than that which you received. ALL files must be
distributed together in a single compressed archive.

All documentation for this program has been encapsulated within a
manual which may be read using the MANUAL program (another Databeat
product).

To install Scripta and its documentation, execute the following tasks:

       1. Copy all the files you have received into their permanent
          'home' directory.

          If you are a Power-QWK user, copy all the files into your
          main PQ directory. Otherwise, create a new subdirectory
          for Scripta called, say, SCRIPTA, and copy all the files
          into the new directory.

          If your computer has no hard disc, copy all the files you
          have received onto a separate 'Scripta' diskette and then
          also copy COMMAND.COM from your boot diskette onto your
          Scripta diskette.

       2. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Scripta
          or if you are installing afresh and your modem is connected
          to a port other than COM1 then switch to the Scripta
          directory and enter the command

                          SCRIPTA /C

          This will enter Scripta Configuration.

          If you are a new Scripta user and your modem is not connected
          to COM1 then you should at least configure your default modem
          port number before continuing any further.

          If your modem is connected to COM1 then you can leave
          configuration for a while or do it now, as you wish.

          If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Scripta then
          please take a few minutes to go through Configuration,
          checking for changes since the previous version.

          In particular, set the size you require for the Review Buffer.
          This is a new facility at this version. New users will find
          that it defaults to 63 Kb (the maximum). Upgraders will find
          that it defaults to some other, random, value so will very
          likely wish to change it.

          New users please also note that the entries in the supplied
          sample Dialling Directory have all been set to Virtual Port
          number 1 so these will need editing before use if your
          modem is connected to a port other than COM1.

          Overseas users please note that the Dialling Directory
          entries are all set up for making calls from the UK.
          This means that, for instance, US telephone numbers
          are prefixed 'U'. This causes Scripta to prefix the phone
          number with Scripta Abbreviation 'U', which in the
          trial version of Scripta has been set to 010183, the code
          for calling the US from the UK. To use one of these numbers
          in the States, just edit out the 'U'. To use the number in
          another country, change Scripta Abbreviation 'U' to
          whatever is the code for dialling the US from your country.

          These are only meant as examples. I do not envisage that
          even users in the UK will make much use of them. Your
          best bet by far is to use Scripta GENERATE to create
          proper scripts for calling your favourite BBSs.

          Finally, please note that if you generate scripts using the
          Scripta GENERATE system, they will not work correctly until
          you have configured your default upload and download
          directories in the File Transfer Data section of
          Configuration.

          I know this is likely to fall on stony ground but PLEASE
          take time to go through every section of Configuration, NOW
          and CAREFULLY.

          The biggest single cause of error for new users is attempting
          to run Scripta with incorrect or still-blank entries in
          Scripta Configuration.

       3. A Scripta script has been supplied which installs the Scripta
          Help files (i.e., the manual) and unpacks the sample script
          generation files and Dialling Directory. To run this script,
          switch to your Scripta directory and enter the command

                         SCRIPTA /UINSTALL

          You will be asked for confirmation before each item is
          installed.

       4. When you have installed the Help files, enter the command

                         MANUAL SCRIPTA.CP

          This will give you entry to the Scripta manual which contains
          all the information you need to run Scripta.

          If you are impatient then, as long as you have configured the
          port to which your modem is connected, or that port is COM1,
          then, instead of reading the manual, just enter the command

                         SCRIPTA

          Have a play by all means but then, please read at least the
          introductory parts of the manual.

          Having entered Scripta, you can read the manual by pressing
          Alt/m.

          If you wish to print the manual then press P at any time
          whilst the MANUAL program is running. This prints the
          section currently on display plus any other sections 'owned'
          by the section on display. Therefore, if you press P when
          MANUAL is first entered, you will print the whole manual.

To auto-generate scripts for accessing Wildcat!/Tomcat!, PC-Board/Qmail
or RemoteAccess/RAMail bulletin boards, please read the file
GENERATE.DOC that came with the Scripta package.

If you are an experienced telecommunicator then you may be able
to generate scripts straight away, without reading the GENERATE
documentation. Log into Scripta; type Alt/S; highlight the word
'MAKE' and press Return. If you get stuck at any point then it's
time to read GENERATE.DOC.

Script generation is very easy and straightforward, as long as you
follow a few basic principles. To my knowledge, Scripta is the only
Communications program in the world to offer FULLY AUTOMATIC script
generation of the highest quality.

You will not realise the full power of Scripta unless you do generate
your own scripts - they can save you a fortune by making huge
reductions in your telephone bills and service connection charges.

The current release of the automatic script generator will produce
scripts for the following BBS/mail door combinations:

                Wildcat! with Tomcat! version 2.00
                Wildcat! with Tomcat! version 3.00
                PC-Board with Qmail version 4.00
                RemoteAccess with RAMail version 3.0

Future releases will provide automatic script generation for other
BBS/mail door combinations - if you have any requests, please let
me know.

You can of course use Scripta without scripts, or with basic scripts,
to call any BBS. But to start saving money, resolve to start producing
your own Scripta-generated scripts as soon as possible.

To generate a brand new, basic but useable, script for any BBS, use
the following command:

               SCRIPTA //MYNAME.CMD

where 'MYNAME' is any name you choose for the script. Conventionally,
this should be the same name as the QWK packet name used by the BBS
for which the script is being generated. If the script is to be
invoked from within Power-QWK then this *must* be the name used;
otherwise, any suitable name will do.

You will be prompted for a telephone number which will then be
dialled. If you don't want to call the BBS just yet, press Esc to
cancel dialling.

A script will have been created called MYNAME.CMD. To run it in
the future, either type SCRIPTA MYNAME.CMD or press Ctrl/s at
the Scripta Command Mode Screen.

This is a very rough and ready way of generating new scripts. To do
the job properly, please read GENERATE.DOC.

IMPORTANT Configuration Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please run Scripta Configuration before attempting any serious work
with this program and before attempting ANY work if your modem is
not connected to COM1.

Make sure you configure at least the following:

1. Default Port number.

2. Baud rate for the default port.

   Don't go mad! Although Scripta offers 38400 baud, I find that
   19200 is ample for my 14400 kilobaud HST. In fact, setting to
   38400 makes *uploading* to some boards impossible - the modem
   spends almost as much time switching data flow off and on as it
   does sending data. It all depends on the equipment that you
   have, and the equipment in use on the BBS. A comms connection
   can only work as fast as its slowest component - try higher
   speeds by all means but if they don't work just drop down a
   notch.

   I get 1700 cps file transfers using Ymodem-G on clear phone
   lines. That means that my computer is keeping the modem
   fully occupied with a rate of 19200 baud. If I double the rate
   to 38400, I am evidently sending data to the modem twice as
   fast as necessary and am obviously likely to aggravate flow
   control. The higher rate *can* however improve *download* rates
   simply because you are ensuring that data are being cleared
   from the modem as fast as possible. Even so, I find 19200 to
   be ample for my HST. If in doubt, experiment, and then stick
   with whatever setup gives you the best average performance.

3. Default upload and download directories.

DO NOT configure the CONFIG upload and download masks. You will
find that these have been set up as dummy calls of DSZ.COM. This
is purely for example. The CONFIG masks are used only when you want
to use external protocols. Initially at least, you should need only
Scripta's own X, Y and Zmodem internal protocols.

If you find that you can type 'AT' at the command mode screen and
reveive an 'OK' response then Scripta is connecting properly to
your modem. If you find subsequently that Scripta fails to dial
numbers properly then try inserting ~ (tilde) characters at the
start of your dial prefix in Scripta Configuration.

The most likely cause of such problems is timing - Scripta is
sending the dial command to the modem before it has recovered
from the preceding action. Each tilde character imposes a delay
of half a second at the start of dialling.

You may also need to insert a ! (exclamation mark) character at
the start of the configuration Hangup string. This causes Scripta
to hangup the phone by dropping DTR and RTS, instead of sending
the hangup string to the modem interface.

Power-QWK Users Please Note!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you wish to integrate Scripta fully into Power-QWK then the
Scripta files must all be installed in your main PQ directory.

If you would rather keep the two products separate then by all
means do so but from within PQ you will then have to invoke
Scripta via Hot Key Manager rather than the somewhat easier
'press O at the BBS Selection screen'.

But...

Scripta is not designed to be run as a full-blown Comms program
when invoked from within Power-QWK. It should be used only for
running pre-written scripts. Using it for other functions *may*
work but are very likely to run short of memory. Scripta uses
memory in an entirely different fashion when called indirectly
in this manner, rather than being invoked directly from the
DOS command line. In plain terms, it sets itself up to maximise
the efficiency of script-running and *presumes* that memory
areas not used by the script processor will not be required.

If you then run functions which cause these other areas to be
allocated then space will almost certainly become a problem.

Finally...
~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoy this product.

It is very new, has been in use by the author for four months and has
been beta tested by an experienced crew. Nonetheless, the Scripta
language is so rich and powerful that it is impossible to swear that
all aspects have been tested to exhaustion. If you find any bugs,
please let me know.

For details of how to obtain latest versions or support, please
see the sections on Registration and Support in the Scripta manual.

Gale Green, Scripta (and Power-QWK) author.