WKAUTO.SEA contains procedures to automate CompuServe sessions.
The files (WKCOST.SIT, WKDOWN.SIT, WKMAIL.SIT, WKMENU.SIT, WKSUMM.SIT, WKUP.SIT and WKZMAC.SIT), are also available separately in MacCOM forum.
The procedures allow you to prepare sessions off-line (uploading and downloading files, downloading forum summaries, sending and receiving E-mail, faxing, and ZMACing), and then to manually or automatically operate these procedures at any "!" PROMPT (from Log On to Log Off), to help you use your CompuServe time efficiently.
The Log Off procedure even keeps a running total of your CompuServe time in minutes and dollars in a file called the Cost Log and also keeps a record of your activity in the Session Log so that you will get a good picture over time of how you utilize the service. Incoming E-mail is also logged in the Email Log.
There are two steps to each action. First, prepare the PROC off-line using the “Pre” (Prepare…) menu. Initiate the procedure with the "CIS” (CompuServe) Menu.
CONTENTS:
0) PREPARATIONS
1) LOGGING ON
2) E-MAIL
3) DOWNLOADING FILES
4) FORUM SUMMARIES
5) UPLOADING FILES
6) ZIFFNET/MAC FORUM
7) FAXING
8) LOGGING OFF
9) AUTOSESSIONS
10) OTHER FEATURES
11) VARIABLES USED
0) PREPARATIONS
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These procedures rely on the NewQuickB.PROC RCMD from Scott Watson. This differs from the QuickB.PROC originally shipped with early versions of White Knight in that it allows nestable procedures - so if you don't have it you should download it from MAC COMMUNICATIONS forum (NEWQB.PRO), before using these procedures. NewQuickB.PROC must be in the RCMD Modules Folder in the White Knight folder. [Check "READ ME" for latest info on this topic]
NB. YOU MAY HAVE TO ADJUST THE TIME DELAY FOR NEWQUICKB.PROC
Scott Watson says that NewQuickB.PROC must be called immediately but I find that my system usually hangs unless I allow a 3 second delay before calling it. Therefore you will see the following in DowFile.PROC, DowSum.PROC, UpFile.PROC, & Fax.PROC:
TYPE ^M
PAUSE 180
NEST :RCMD Modules:NewQuickB.PROC
PAUSE 60 is a 1 second delay. PAUSE 180 is a three second delay. I use a 2400 baud modem. If you use other equipment or if you find NewQuickB.PROC keeps generating errors then you will have to reset all these PAUSE 180 delays and recompile the procedures.
NB. COMPILE THESE TEXT FILES INTO PROCEDURES
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Before compiling note your CompuServe ID number, your access phone number, your password, and your cost per minute. Plug these into the relevant scripts prior to compiling as follows:
Using your text editor or word processor, do a Find and search for
"SETCOST 0000". Replace the "0000" with (¢/minute x 100).
i.e. if your cost per minute is 13¢ then replace "0000" with "1300".
You may need to adjust the settings under "COMM 2400-N-8-1-FULL". Take them from your existing Log On PROC.
Put your access phone number into the line: "TYPE ATDT 1-800-848-4480^M"
Find "TYPE 00000,0000" and replace the zeros with your ID number.
Find "TYPE XXXXX!YYYYY^M" and replace XXXXX!YYYYY" with your password.
Use the "Procedure… Compile TEXT File…" Command under the SERVICE Menu in White Knight, (Command-P-C), or use CompileAll.PROC to automatically compile them all:
1) Reset White Knight's preferences under the Options… Compiler Menu to allow for up to 300 sub-routines and label references.
2) Drop all the folders and the CompileAll.PROC into your White Knight folder.
3) Initiate CompileAll.PROC from the White Knight's SERVICE Menu.
NB. DO NOT DELETE SessionVariables FILE
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These PROCs require the file "SessionVariables" which must be in the "COMPUSERV PROCs" folder. Without this file the PROCs won't run. All variables are listed in “Variables List” (COMPUSERV folder). See also section 11 below.
NB. KEEPING PROCEDURES IN THEIR NAMED FOLDERS
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The procedures MUST be located in the named folder they come in and these must be inside your White Knight folder. Do not change the names of the files or their folders unless you are prepared to edit the procedures.
EFFICIENT COMPUSERVE SESSIONS
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The procedures here allow you to maximize efficiency by doing most text entry offline. Using the Prepare… (Pre) Menu you will prepare file downloads and summary downloads, and file uploads for the MAUG Macintosh Forums. You may prepare an E-mail posting. You may prepare file uploads, downloads, and the capture of MacWEEK News from ZMAC. You may also prepare FAXes. Then you may automate the sessions using the CompuServe (CIS) Menu.
THE MENUS
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The Prepare… (Pre) Menu can be called the first time by initiating the procedure "PreMenu.PROC" in the MENU PROCs Folder. Thereafter it may be called from the bottom of the CompuServe (CIS) Menu.
1) LOGGING ON
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The LogOn File included here uses Compuserve's U.S./Canada 800 number. If your city has its own number you will have to make the necessary changes. Don't forget to put your own password in before compiling. And edit in your cost per minute as described below before compiling.
If you don't get a proper CONNECT Prompt the Procedure will log off and immediately try dialing again.
There are two ALERT Commands in the LogOn PROC which recognize the way CompuServe informs you that you have E-Mail. If you do have E-Mail, the procedure automatically NESTs into the GetMail.PROC in the MAIL PROCs folder and E-mail will be retrieved and logged as described in Section 2 following.
MAKE SURE THE FOLLOWING ARE IN THE LogOn.PROC
SETCOST xxxx (where xxxx is the cost in 100ths of a second)*
RESET (Resets the billing clock to zero)
SAVETIME (Saves the start time for later use in this procedure)
If you want to be compatible with the Log Off procedure included here (which will compile an on-going log of CompuServe Sessions including time and approximate costs) then you must:
a) Set your cost with the SETCOST Command
If you are able to call CompuServe directly and pay only $12.50/hour your cost per minute is 20.83 cents or "SETCOST 2083". If you use the 800 line then its 12.50 + 9.00 = 21.50/hour = 35.83¢/minute = SETCOST 3583.
b) Reset your billing clock by putting the RESET command right after the connect prompt.
c) Save the starting time by including the SAVETIME Command after RESET.
NB. The recent move by CompuServe to provide free basic services means you may want to make two separate LogOn PROCs. One with no cost for sessions where you only use free services like E-mail, and another for the hourly charge.
Once you are into CompuServe you can use the Macro bar to go to any forum listed.
The Go Commands Folder has PROCs for several other forums which don’t appear on the Macro Bar.
2) E-MAIL (MAIL PROCs)
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When Email is waiting for you after you log on, the GetMail.PROC is initiated and automatically captures Email to a file called E-Mail Log in the C LOGs folder.
The mail will be appended to any that is already in that Log file.
Once this is accomplished, your e-mail will be deleted from CompuServe. If you don't want it automatically deleted then change the lines:
PROMPT (Y or N) !
PAUSE
TYPE Y^M
to
PROMPT (Y or N) !
PAUSE
TYPE N^M
The PreMail.PROC allows you to prepare up to three (3) E-mail letters off-line. Each letter can be up to 18 lines long (75 characters/line). You will be prompted to supply the text and the name or ID # of the recipient(s). So know their number in advance. PreMail.PROC is under the Prepare… Menu as the "Prepare an Email" Command.
You may initiate the sending of E-mail immediately at the end of the PreMail.PROC or you may use the Mail.PROC from the CIS Menu once you are online. Choosing Yes to the Send Immediately option will build a quick AutoSend PROC by nexting your existing LogOn and LogOff procedures.
PreMail also gives you the choice of requesting a receipt notice for each of the three letters you send. These receipt notices currently cost about 15¢ and will be sent back to you when the intended recipient reads your E-mail.
PreMail also embeds your name, Compuserve address and subject of the letter into the first three lines of the letter so that it can be sent more quickly while online.
The time issue is less of a problem now that basic services include free e-mail. If you are sending to Internet or MCI or wish to send multiple copies here are a few CompuServe tricks (current at the time of this writing):
Mail.PROC will send the E-mail once you are on-line and is initiated from the CIS Menu with the "Post an E-mail letter" Command. This does not send your E-mail tips file which is sent using the Tips feature (below).
If you receive or send E-Mail using these procedures and then Log Off with LogOff.PROC a report of these activities will be saved to the Session Log file in C LOGs folder (and also will appear on screen) at the end of the session.
You may also send Macintosh tips automatically to MacWEEK, MACUSER and Macworld magazine. The PreTip.PROC from the Pre Menu will let you select your file to mail and Tip.PROC (CIS Menu) will send it to all three Email addresses - one upload addressed to three places. (Some magazines sometimes pay for tips).
The Tip file can be ascii text like your letters or a binary file (e.g. a PageMaker file with a graphic compressed with StuffIt or some other compression utility). The PreTip.PROC will prompt you to select what kind of file the Tip is. If you want, you can just use the regular mutiple addressing function to accomplish this task. Or you send electronic letters to the editor! If your entire session is devoted to E-mail and you have free basic services, make a separate no-cost LogOn file as per above.
3) DOWNLOADING FILES
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The Downloading procedures in DOWN PROCs folder allow you to prepare up to nine (9) file downloads from MAUG or other forums. You should know, in advance, the forum abbreviation, the data library number, and the file name for each file you wish to download. (This information can be reviewed off-line if you download the forum summaries - see next section).
Initiating PreDowFile.PROC from the Prepare… Menu with "Prepare File Download s" will prompt you to supply the information for up to nine files. Once you are on line, select Download File(s) from the CIS Menu to initiate DowFile.PROC.
If for any reason a file is not there or you missed named the information regarding it, the procedure will note that it is missing and continue to try the next download.
If you download files using these procedures and then Log Off with LogOff.PROC a report of these activities will be saved to the Session Log file in C LOGs folder (and also will appear on screen) at the end of the session. (See section 8 - below).
Some of the forums you may download files from include MacSYS, MacAPP, MacFUN, MacHYP, MacCOM, MacDEV, MacNEW, MacCLUB, MacAVEN, MacBVEN, MacCVEN, MacSEVEN, ACIUS, ADOBE, ALDUS, DTPFORUM, DTPVENDOR, MSWORD, etc. (Try the DA included with this package for a listing of Forum Data Libraries of interest to Mac enthusiasts).
(ZiffNet/MAC – formerly "ZMAC" – downloads are dealt with separately below).
There are two other procedures here for your convenience if you want to download when you are doing on-line browsing. "QB Download This File" initiates the QB Download.PROC which will download a file name already appearing on screen. You then use the "Initiate NewQuickB.PROC" to start up the NewQuickB.PROC RCMD (it must be in the RCMD Modules folder).
4) FORUM SUMMARIES
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PreDowSum.PROC ("Prepare Summary DLoad s" from the Prepare… Menu), allows you to specify which MAUG forum summaries you wish to download each month. (These summaries are available in DL1 of each library and are posted each week/month). You may specify all of them at one click or else each or any combination individually.
There are now several types of forum summaries available and WKAUTO gives you the choice of downloading any one, a combination of several, or all of them.
1) The first type is XXXDES.SIT where the XXX is the 3 letter forum abbreviation. This has a complete description of each file in every library in the forum and is updated the first of each month by MAUG librarian Bill Cook (CIS #76703,1030).
2) The second type is XXXTIT.SIT where XXX is the 3 letter forum abbreviation. Bill Cook updates and uploads this compendium of all titles in the forum each week.
3) The fourth type of summary is a chronological description of each file that has been uploaded that month and has the designation XXYYMM.SIT where XX is the 2 letter forum abbreviation, YY is the 2 number year abbreviation and MM is the 2 number month abbreviation. This was started by Brad Poulson the creator of the MAUG LIBRARIAN HyperCard stack. And these files are intended to conform to that format. Unfortunately, Mr. Poulson died, but XNET - Librarian Brad Doster, (CIS #71121,1003), continues this service and they usually appear between the 3rd and 8th of the month.
Summaries are downloaded by initiating the "Download Summary s" Command from the CIS Menu. If a summary is missing, the procedure will note that it is missing and continue to try the next one.
The forums you may download summaries from are: MacSYS; MacAPP; MacFUN; MacHYP; MacCOM; MacDEV; MacNEW; MacCLUB; MacAVEN; MacBVEN; MacCVEN; and MacSEVEN. The procedure will also ask whether you want to download the index to DTPFORUM. All you need to know is the month/year of the summary, e.g. "JAN92". The index for ZMAC can be downloaded using the ZMAC procedures described below.
If you download forum summaries using these procedures and then Log Off with LogOff.PROC a report of these activities will be saved to the Session Log file in C LOGs folder (and also will appear on screen) at the end of the session.
NB. A complete set of MAUG file listings is posted each month in MacNEW forum Library 3 as "MAUGLB.SIT" and can be searched with Bill Cook’s Library Search Stack "LIBTL.SIT" also in MacNEW DL3.
5) UPLOADING FILES
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Using the PreUpFile.PROC you may prepare up to three (3) file uploads. Initiate this with "Prepare Upload s" from the Prepare… Menu and you will be prompted to supply six lines of text description (80 characters/line) plus Keywords and a Title line. You will have to select the folder the file is in so have it ready to go.
The Upload is started with the "Upload File s" Command under the CIS Menu.
If you upload files using these procedures and then Log Off with LogOff.PROC a report of these activities will be saved to the Session Log file in C LOGs folder (and also will appear on screen) at the end of the session.
6) ZIFFNET/MAC FORUM [ZMAC]
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PreZmac.PROC ("Prepare ZMAC Stuff" under the Prepare… Menu) will allow you to prepare three things. First, you will be asked whether you want to capture the latest MacWEEK news. Second, you will be asked if you want to download the current ZMAC forum index. Third, you may specify up to five (5) file downloads from the ZMAC download libraries.
All or any of these may be selected and then initiated online with the "Do ZMAC Stuff" Command in the CIS Menu.
If you do ZMAC stuff using these procedures and then Log Off with LogOff.PROC a report of these activities will be saved to the Session Log file in C LOGs folder (and also will appear on screen) at the end of the session.
7) FAXING
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If you don't have a fax you can use CompuServe to send one. (No graphics, ascii TEXT files only). This version of WKAUTO.SIT conforms to the changes to faxing that took place on September 25, 1991 - namely that North American faxes require the country code of "1".
The procedure "PreFax.PROC" prepares the Fax off line and Fax.PROC does it all automatically once you get yourself on line. You must make an ascii TEXT document (TeachText is good for this), and it should be called "Fax.txt". You will be prompted to locate that file so have it ready.
The document "Fax.txt" can be a maximum of 55 lines with not more than 70 characters per line. Before sending it you should probably use the AddLF.RCMD that comes with White Knight to add a Line Feed to each Carriage Return so that it will be more compatible with IBM DOS machines.
You will be prompted to supply various information like Your Name, the Recipient's name and fax number, the subject of the fax, etc.
After logging on to CompuServe, at any "!" Prompt, just initiate the Fax.PROC using the CompuServe (CIS), Menu. Your fax file will automatically be uploaded and sent.
CompuServe will generate a notification in the MAIL section once the Fax has been successfully transmitted and this will appear in your Mail section.
The next time you Log On, the GetMail subroutine will automatically retrieve this fax notification and post it to your Email Log. The notification will then be deleted. ("DeleteFaxNotification.PROC" is no longer needed and is not included in this set).
8) LOGGING OFF
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LogOff.PROC is initiated from the CompuServe Menu. In addition to logging off the service it maintains two special Log files in the folder C LOGs: Cost Log; and Session Log. Both files will look and print better if you use a monospace font like Monaco, Courier or White Knight's own TTY font.
Session Log maintains a record of any work that the above procedures performed and also writes this information to the screen at the end of your session.
Cost Log keeps a record of all CompuServe Sessions that includes the date and time of the call, the duration of the call, and the cost (based on how you set the billing clock in LogOn.PROC (see above). It also keeps a running total of the cost and writes this not only to the Cost Log but also to the screen immediately after you log off.
NB. DO NOT CHANGE THE LAST TWO LINES IN THE COST LOG !
You can reset the total of "Cost Log" to zero by replacing the "$xx.xx" total in the last line with "$00.00". You must have the line with hyphens (------…) immediately above this last total line. The hyphens are necessary for the procedure to terminate properly and you must leave this line alone! "Call Log" can hold over 100 lines of entries before you need to clear it out – at the end of each month would be a good time. If you do clear it out make sure you leave the last two lines intact ("-----…" & "TOTAL… $xx.xx"), and make sure that the second last line is the ONLY ONE with hyphens (---) in it.
MULTIFINDER AND GATEKEEPER
You may need to alot a bit more than 1000K to White Knight if you are running MultiFinder under System 6.0x or are using System 7.0x. If you use GateKeeper then you will need to alot all File privileges to White Knight because in compiling the log file White Knight creates a temp file, deletes the original log file and renames the temp file to the new log file.
9) AUTOSESSIONS
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Once you have prepared your session with the above commands you may use them manually in real time by selecting them from the CompuServe Menu or you may prepare a entire AutoSession using this "PreAutoSess.PROC". ("Prepare Auto Session" under the Prepare… Menu).
This procedure requires that:
a) Any Prep files to be used from this menu be prepared in advance.
b) You must already have a "LogOn.PROC" and a "LogOff.PROC" installed in the COMPUSERV PROCs Folder.
You will be prompted whether or not you want to download file(s), download summary(s), upload file(s), do ZMAC stuff, post E-mail and/or send a Fax. You may select any combination of these actions. This procedure will then automatically delete the previous "AutoSession" file, write a new "AutoSession" file and then compile it (to AutoSession.PROC"). You will then be asked whether you want the call to take place immediately. If so, the CIS Menu will appear and the call will be initiated. If not, you will have to choose the CIS Menu yourself and then initiate the "Do AutoSession" command from it yourself.
10) OTHER FEATURES
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The Calculate.PROC
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The Calculate.PROC (Pre Menu), is useful for finding out how much it would cost to download a given file. You must know the size of the file in bytes (e.g. a 5k file would be 5120 bytes). You will be prompted for this after the procedure is initiated. File size may be obtained when online or from downloaded summaries.
You must also know your modems performance factor. For my 1200 baud modem which received about 6.5 kbytes per minutes this was 60 ÷ 6.5 = 9.2.
My new 2400 baud modem receives about 13 kbytes/min. or 60 ÷ 13 = 4.6.
The Calculate.PROC is set up for 2400 baud with a performance factor of 4.6, but you may modify this by replacing the number "46":
:MODEM-PERFORMANCE FACTOR
MULTIPLY I4%,46
(divide by 10 to get the number of seconds)
You must also know your cost/minute for the service – which will no doubt be far lower than mine – I live in a Canadian city without a direct CompuServe number. ["1.14" is a US$ to CDN$ conversion factor which American users don’t need].
Use the same cost/minute number you calculated at the beginning of this manual and replace the number "41" below:
:COST/MINUTE
MULTIPLY I4%,41
The Calculate.PROC will write to the screen:
You may wish to edit the baud rate in the first line so you don't get confused.
Toggling the Data Buffer
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White Knight has a Data Buffer that remembers a preset number of screens from your session. (Adjust this number as per Scott Watson’s instructions). This file may be significantly large if set to a few dozen screens or more so I have provided the DataBuffer.PROC (Pre Menu), to delete this file and turn off the remember feature. It works like a toggle switch so you can use it again to reinstate the memory feature. You will only want to use this feature if you have a limited amount of hard drive space available.
Custom Icon
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A rudimentary custom icon has been provided for the WK AUTO PROCs folder which you will see if you are using System 7.0x.
Re: Spelling
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I regret that CompuServe was spelt wrong when I first made the COMPUSERV PROCs folder. Rather than change all references to this in all scripts I have chosen to leave it as is but I have done my best to correct other references to CompuServe.
Received File Destination
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PreZMAC.PROC, PreDowFile.PROC, and PreDowSum.PROC all ask you to select a received file destination folder. This might get tedious doing it every time. If you keep the same Downloads folder you can set the relevant variable (J6$, L9$, and L8$), respectively in the relevant script permanently by searching for the following text and modifying it as per the file path name of your downloads folder.
(If you keep the same downloads folder you may bracket "(" the above 3 lines)
(and debracket the following line - after correctly setting the path name.)
(COPYINTO L9$,My Hard Drive:DOWNLOADS Folder:MAUG Downloads)
11) VARIABLES USED
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The file “SessionVariables” in the COMPUSERV PROCs folder is a special White Knight file of variables. Do not delete it. It is used to carry over the values you input in the Prepare… PROCs to the online CIS PROCs and again when you Log Off these variables are used to create your Session, Cost and E-mail Logs.
You may wish to use variables for your own purposes and so a list is provided of what is already reserved and what is still available. If you need to know which numeric and string variables are already in use and for what specifically, consult the beginning of each PROC or check the file “Variables List” - also in the COMPUSERV PROCs folder.
In short, all variables have been spoken for except the following:
Numeric Variables Available:
E5%, I1% & I8%, L1% to L8%, and all of: R%, S%, T% U% V% W% X% Y% Z%
String Variables Available:
F8$ & F9$, J7$ and all of: U$ V$ W$ X$ Y$ Z$
(MacWEEK portions of ZMAC PROCs are based on scripts by Craig Kerwien/72241,224.
The procedures in this series are updated when necessary. They procedures work on my Mac. I offer no express or implied guarantee that they will work on yours. Use of any portion of this set of PROCs is deemed use of the set. The shareware fee for the set is $10. At the very least you can use the E-mail PROC to send me a message.
