Shareware 1 2 the Maxx/sw_1.zip/sw_1/BUSI/ABC_121.ZIP/ABC.DOC

Text File | 1992-04-05 | 11KB | 254 lines

                  Aladdin Billing Clock 1.21

               Copyright 1992 by Randy H. Smith


     The decision by GEnie management to remove the billing
clock from Aladdin 1.61 has been met with a great deal of
dissatisfaction by the users of the program.  This loader is
an attempt to restore the billing clock to the program, while
adding a few enhancements to the original implementation.

     The Aladdin Billing Clock will place the familiar clock
in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  To the left of
the clock is shown the total amount of charges, ESTIMATED for
the current session.  In the upper left corner is an indicator
which lets you know if you are on during prime time, and, if
not, whether you are in a Basic area or are in the middle of an
upload.  To the right of that indicator is one which shows
whether the connect time is surcharged.

        The current version of ABC has the following features:

           Turns off the billing for uploads and freeflags,
           Matches the color of ABC output to the color of
                Aladdin's title strip,
           Writes a log to disk, with connect time and amount
                totals,
           Allows the selection of a 24-hour clock,
           Adjusts for standard Canadian time charges,
           Permits the input of ANY amounts for Prime, Value
                and Surcharged billing.

USAGE:

     To use the Aladdin Billing Clock, put ABC.EXE into the
same directory as Aladdin.  The command line switches used
by ABC are:

     /?      Displays a list of these switches

     /A      Calls ALAD.EXE, instead of ALADDIN.EXE, thus
             avoiding the opening screen.

     /C      Adjusts the billing clock to Canadian rate usage.

     /D      Runs ABC as a separate program under DESQview.

     /H      Prevents prime time charges on weekday holidays.

     /M      Changes clock display to 24-hour format.

     /S      Adds charges for a surcharged line.

     /T      Allows the entry of any amounts for Prime, Value and
                Surcharge rates

     Prime time is computed at $18/hr, and time outside of
basic during non-prime hours at $6/hr.  A surcharged line is
computed at $2/hr.  Corresponding Canadian rates are $25, $8 and
$2, respectively.  Other rates may be entered via the /T parameter.

     Unless the /D switch is selected, all other switches are
passed on to Aladdin itself, which the Clock automatically
executes.  Simply run ABC with the appropriate switches, and
everything should work like it always did.

     When using the /D switch, no switches are passed on to
Aladdin. Therefore, the parameters to be acted upon by Aladdin
itself should be in the batch file called by DESQview or listed on
the Change a Program screen.  All the other switches listed above
are valid with the this parameter with the exception of the /A
switch.  To skip the opening screen under DV, just enter ALAD.EXE
in the Change A Program screen, instead of ALADDIN.EXE.  When
the /D parameter is present, the last entry on the command
line MUST be the name and path of the .DVP file used to start
Aladdin.  Normally, this will be AL-PIF.DVP, in the main
DESQview sub-directory. The first two letters are those used
to start Aladdin from the DESQview menu.

Examples:

     ABC /A  will start Aladdin without showing the
opening screen.

     ABC /C  will use Canadian rates for the billing total.

     ABC /S  will start Aladdin, adding a $2/hr. surcharge
for the entire time of connection.

     ABC /H  will suppress the prime time detection for
weekday holidays.

     ABC /M  will display time in the 24-hour, military format.

     ABC /T=XXXX,YYYY,ZZZZ will override the rates built into ABC
and use XXXX as the prime rate, YYYY as the value rate, and ZZZZ
as the surcharged rate.  These MUST be entered as the smallest
currency type per hour.  For example, the standard U.S rates for
GEnie connection would be entered as /T=1800,600,200. (Without
the period)  It is, of course, not necessary to use this switch
unless your rate is different from the default for the U.S or,
with the /C parameter, Canada.

     ABC /A /S /H /C /M /T=2675,856,214 will do all the above.
The order of the switches is not important.  Any other
switches entered on the command line will be passed on to
Aladdin and produce the expected results.  The /T parameter given
above would produce the proper charges for Canadian users wishing
to include the value added tax: $26.75, $8.56, and $2.14.

     ABC /D  C:\DV\AL-PIF.DVP will start ABC in one window,
then load Aladdin in another, when running under DESQview.  In
this example the DVP file for Aladdin is found on the C drive
under the DV subdirectory and AL are the two letters used to
start Aladdin from the DV Main Menu.

     ABC /D /H /S /M /T=3000,1000,500 D:\APPS\ALADDIN\ALADDIN.DVP
will start ABC under DESQview, then start Aladdin according to
the settings in the AD-PIF.DVP file, with normal prime time
detection disabled, including a surcharge for the connect time,
and displaying the time in military format.  It will also produce
billing for a Prime rate of $30.00, a Value rate of $10.00, and a
surcharged rate of $5.00.  Make sure that the last thing in any
command line containing the /D switch is the DVP path/filename.
In this example, the DVP file is not in the DV subdirectory at
all, but is on the D drive under the APPS/ALADDIN/ subdirectory,
under the name ALADDIN.DVP.

     If you are running Aladdin from a batch file, and don't want
a separate window under DESQview, just replace the Aladdin call
with one for ABC, keeping all the command line switches intact.
The /CLOCK switch can be dropped, however, since ABC will take
over that function.  For example, if your current batch file is:

        @echo off
        cd \aladdin
        aladdin /noems /clock /1 /mr

     Then change it to read:

        @echo off
        cd \aladdin
        abc /noems /1 /mr.

     You need the switches that are specifically for ABC only if
you are logging on during a GEnie holiday, calling on a surcharged
line, wish to skip the opening screen, want to cause ABC to
load itself in a separate DV window, are charged at Canadian
rates, want to see 24-hour time, or have a need for an unusual
rating structure.

        ABC will automatically create, then write to, ABC.LOG.
This file is written ONLY when you bring Aladdin down at the end
of a session.  It is NOT updated everytime you log off.  ABC
accumulates the charges, and records them after Aladdin leaves
memory.  It includes the date and time Aladdin started, the time
Aladdin shut down, the total connect time logged during the
session and the charges accumulated during that period.  It also
records the total connect time and charges for the file.  It
might be a good idea if this file is renamed at the end of each
month, allowing ABC to create a new, empty file.  This allows
for easy tracking of each month's usage and charges.

        Please remember that these number are only estimates.
The connect time is the total duration between ABC seeing the
CONNECT string upon your connection with your local node and the
OFF AT string when that connection is broken.  The billing clock
is also dependent upon the strings that appear on the screen, and
will probably not agree with your official billing charges kept
by GEnie.

DETAILS:

     This program is compiled under Turbo Pascal, but the
majority of the code, including the whole of the interrupt
routine, is in assembler.  ABC uses less than 13K of memory.

     Prime time is determined by the clock on your computer.
It does not depend upon characters sent by GEnie.  On the other
hand, all other states of ABC are determined by the characters
apperaring on the Aladdin screen, so line noise can cause a
problem with these functions.

     The Aladdin Billing Clock is DESQview-aware, even without
the /D parameter, and, unlike the clock built into Aladdin,
doesn't bleed into other windows. The program assumes you are
running Aladdin with the /dv switch, so that Aladdin writes to
the screen through the alternate video area.  ABC asks DESQview
where this area is, and reads from and writes to it directly.
This coding will cause a problem if Aladdin is running under
DESQview, but is being allowed to write directly to the real
video buffer.  If you are allowing Aladdin to do this, ABC
will not be able to find your screen and will not function.

        Running with the /D switch, the process is identical, but
ABC is running in its own 13K DV window, instead of as an
interrupt-driven loader.  This allows for much smoother operation,
at least on my '286.  Using the .DVP file provided will allow the
program to start up in the background.

        The program also automatically detects a monochrome
system, a screen length of more than 25 rows, and the colors
necessary to match the top strip of the screen.

        If you download to a floppy disk, you will probably see
the clock become erratic.  This is caused by the floppy hoging
DOS while writing, since ABC checks DOS to see if the coast is
clear before calling the time-of-day interrupt.  If DOS is
busy more than eighteen times in a row, you might even see
the clock miss a whole second.  Downloading to the hard disk
doesn't seem to cause the same problem, since the writing is
handled more efficiently.


LEGALESE:

     I am not responsible for any damages resulting from the
use of the Aladdin Billing Clock.  Use this program at your
own risk.  If it turns your hard drive into mush, don't blame
me!

     The amounts calculated by this program are ESTIMATES,
and are sanctioned by neither the management nor staff of
GEnie.  It is not completely accurate. The amount is only a
guideline.

     This program is free to anyone who wishes to use it, but
is NOT public domain.  I retain all rights to the code and do
not wish anyone to distribute it for any consideration other
than the normal download fees charged by GEnie.  You are welcome,
even encouraged, to pass this program on to anyone with a use for
it, or to post it to a BBS.  Just don't sell it.

     I will not turn down a gift of time, but neither do I
expect it.  I just hope this program will fill the void left
by the removal of the billing clock from the Aladdin program.

     I may be reached by E-mail at R.SMITH228, and have started
a topic on the Aladdin RoundTable in Catagory 12, Topic 12.
Please let me hear from you if you use the program and have
constructive suggestions.

        Thanks to all the Aladdin users who gave me so much
positive feedback and so many good suggestions after I uploaded
ABC 1.0 and 1.1.  I said last week that I would not upload a new
ABC every week, and here I am doing just that.  But I think that
I've now added all the bells and whistles needed, since ABC is
getting entirely too large for a good TSR. <G>  I plan to just
swat bugs from now on.  Unless someone comes up with another idea
that I just can't resist adding to the code.

        Now we can all just sit back and wait for Juan to finish
PC Aladdin 2.0 and make ABC obsolete. <G>