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Text File | 1990-12-16 | 23KB | 409 lines

IMPORTANT NOTE! THE AMAX MENU FORMAT HAS CHANGED SINCE SOME SECTIONS OF THE WHATSNEW FILE WERE WRITTEN. AS A RESULT, SOME REFERENCES TO MENU COMMANDS MAY NO LONGER APPLY. REFER TO THE AMAX DOCUMENTATION FOR COMPLETE DETAILS ON AMAX OPERATION. AMAX Version 2.20 Description of Changes From Previous Version Copyright (C) 1990 Alan D. Applegate All Rights Reserved NOTE! This file is created directly from a similar file that is continually updated during the AMAX development process. It is shown in reverse chronological order, in other words, during development, those features that we added first are shown toward the end of the file and those added last are shown first. I suspect that some information toward the top will contradict some the information shown later in the file. I will try and correct those cases where I can find them, but if you find contradictory information, whatever is shown first should be construed as most accurate. List of Changes, Additions, Bug Fixes Fixed password placement problem when generating file requests. When creating outbound function requests using the file request module, the password, if any, would be placed after any arguments given on the "filename" line. Now, the password will be placed in the second position (field) of the finished .REQ file in all cases to allow proper operation of function requests with arguments. Fixed problem where the letter "P" would not work (unless lower case) when direct screen writes were turned off. Added a new command line switch. The -E switch turns ON the keyboard BIOS calls, so that the up and down arrows work during outbound functions to select a node, and that PgUp and PgDn also work for paging forward and backward through the list. By default, the keyboard BIOS calls are OFF, to maintain compatibility with AMAX installations that are set to work remotely with redirected I/O. Also by default, the arrow keys and PgUp/PgDn will NOT work. NOTE! If -E is used, AMAX CANNOT be used remotely! Daniel Segard was having a problem with the "-" option shelling to DOS. A passthrough error in the code was fixed, but this really brought to light a separate issue...that AMAX must be in AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 2 the current directory when using the "-" option. If it's not, or if there is some other problem making the system call to restart AMAX, it will now report the error to you instead of just appearing to jump to DOS. Added the "Tom Parker" option. This is an enhancement to let AMAX not just clear, but CREATE undialables. This could be handy in many types of situations. If you select "Maintain Undialable Systems List" you'll now get prompted whether you want to clear or add systems. If you choose to add one, it will create an undialable entry in the outbound area that reads 0 attempts, 3 bad connects. This should (using default BinkleyTerm settings) cause your system not to try and dial that system anymore. It may not work with systems that override the default settings (by using special parameters in the event file). Fixed the clear undialables display. It will fill a page with them (if you have that many) and will then clear the screen before moving on. Before, it would simply scroll off. Changed the meaning of the -a command line parameter. Since compressed mail is now displayed by default, -a now means to TURN OFF compressed mail display, versus TURN ON as it was in AMAX 2.10a. Added ability to edit certain fields in a Version 6 nodelist record. Not all fields are editable. This is accessed when doing a nodelist record display function from the Main Menu. Editing is not provided for QuickBBS nodelists, due to the odd manner in which Pascal handles string data types. Editing is not provided for Version 5 nodelists, since it is the official AMAX position that this nodelist type is obsolete. Tweeked the date and time display on the Main Menu to only display the time portion of the line instead of the entire line as it was doing previously. This should yield a little better feel when using AMAX remotely or on slower machines. Added origin line capability in addition to the AMAX tear line for the quick message entry module. If you have enabled the tear line, then an origin will be added as well. The text for the origin line is obtained directly from whatever you have with the 'System' statement in your config file (BINKLEY.CFG). Your address is appended to the end of the line in the typical fashion. If you don't like the origin line, then disable tear lines using the appropriate command line switch. Fixed a problem with rerouting between zones that would cause AMAX to retain the wrong value for "current zone" when a reroute was aborted. It now remembers the current zone prior to the reroute and will return to that zone if a reroute is aborted. Added capability to do groupings of commands to do unattended processing. This allows AMAX, with a certain amount of "getting AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 3 used to," to replace programs like Please, Get and Send. This is done by banking commands with a -g command line option. Refer to the docs for details. Sysop name look-up added to nodelist record display function, and occurs automatically when FIDOUSER.LST is available and when you have not entered a Sysop name in lieu of a node address to begin with. Fixed some ugly text within the program (typographical errors). Thanks to Charlie Frnka for pointing out the ugliness. When doing an edit during a message entry, the string input length limiter ability of AMAX is applied to the "New string" input field prior to asking for it. The old way worked like this; if you entered a substitute string that was too long, it just yelled at you, and that was that. You'd have to do it again. Now, you simply aren't allowed to enter a string that's too long. If you have color enabled, the reverse video input panel size reflects the allowed maximum string length. Color settings on the outbound view have been changed. Each file type has its own color. This is not as helpful on monochrome screens, but generally, important entries are shown in intense video, others are shown non-intense. "Page x of x" is now output at the beginning of an outbound view page, rather than output at the end. The physical position is the same, it just displays sequentially first instead of last. Compressed mail address calculation is now based on the PRIMARY address as shown in your configuration file, not on the selected address in a multiple-address scenario. If you don't use multiple addresses, this won't matter to you. If you do, then AMAX will probably display compressed mail addresses as you expect them, instead of some odd address that isn't right. This should be correct operation for MOST (though possibly not all) multiple-address configurations. Added more recent FTSC product codes, and removed those codes that are either dormant or not likely to be applicable, e.g., software on non-MS-DOS platforms. (Product codes are interpreted during a PacketView (TM) session.) Implemented delete and insert functions in message entry module. These are not exactly terrific routines, but they work. There are some anomalies that might not be immediately apparent, but nothing major (due to programmer laziness). Fixed a bug with displaying the selected entry when you indicate that you want to delete, reroute, etc., etc. an outbound entry. This wasn't looking at all right when in "nodelist-less" mode, and it also wasn't consistent with the format used during outbound display that has been in place since 2.10a. AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 4 Added look-up of Sysop name based on node address in enter message function. This means that if you don't know the Sysop's name (only his/her node address), you can send the message to "Sysop" (or enter any single character instead of a name) and after you enter the node address, AMAX will ask you whether you'd like to have the name looked-up in FIDOUSER.LST. If you enter yes (by pressing the "Y" key) then AMAX will perform a linear search for the correct name. NOTE: There is no standardized file which is indexed on a node address and which contains a Sysop name. Therefore, it's not possible for AMAX to perform an indexed search for the name. AMAX uses FIDOUSER.LST (the only standard file typically available which contains the Sysop name) and must use a linear search (front to back) since FIDOUSER.LST is not sorted by node address. Starting at the top and moving to the bottom, AMAX looks at each line to see if it contains the desired node address. If it does, it uses the name it finds on the same line. LINEAR SEARCHES ARE S-L-O-W! Don't expect much from this capability, or you'll be disappointed. When tested on a 6 MHz AT class machine, it took nearly 15 SECONDS to find the last name in the list. At 10 MHz, it took about 10 seconds. Even on my 20 MHz 386, it took about 3 seconds. It may well take 20 to 25 seconds on an XT, although I haven't tested it. The closer to the end of FIDOUSER.LST the desired entry is, the longer it will take to find it. If it's not found, you've wasted a lot of time. AMAX now follows COMSPEC when doing a Jump to DOS. Bug fixed where 8-digit passwords were not displayed correctly in all cases. AMAX help screen (displayed with -? command line parameter) is now broken into two pages (too many command line options anymore). Parsing of the outbound area during a view is now much more resilient to spurious garbage that may be included there. Now if you have attached files or other miscellaneous junk sitting in the outbound area, AMAX won't barf on it unless it follows a naming convention identical to that of a mail-related file (in which case BinkleyTerm will certainly barf on it also). Display of Bad WaZOO files is back. The code never went away, it just didn't work (although I don't know the version in which it broke). The only thing that would be tagged as such would have been a .ZIP file, which shouldn't have been in the outbound area to begin with. Fixed some more problems listing the contents of the mailing list file. Formatting was a problem still with some stuff under particular and unusual circumstances, but I think keywords and AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 5 Sysop names will finally display and be handled correctly. Implemented binary configuration file, AMAX.CFG. There is a command in the Alternate Menu to save the current batch of command line settings to the binary file. If AMAX.CFG is found in the current directory, it is used. Since it is loaded prior to parsing the command line, command line switches can still be used IN ADDITION TO the loaded settings, if desired. Simply delete AMAX.CFG if it becomes annoying (holds old settings you don't like anymore or something). Fixed bug where each press of the "-" key (restart) at the Main Menu would append the PROMPT environment variable again and again. This messy problem showed-up only on Jump to DOS operations. Fixed bug displaying zero-length compressed mail (although I'm not sure in what version it broke). When rerouting a file to another zone, AMAX will now return to its original zone, rather than leaving you with the "route to" zone. All compressed mail unpackers now use the "change directory method." This means that instead of unpacking to a directory with unpackers that support it, AMAX will change directories and unpack from there. This should please certain ARCE emulators that had a real problem with the old method. (This opens the door to have ARC work with AMAX, but I didn't manage to find time to get the code in there.) The -I parameter has been added. This causes AMAX to skip the alternate address selection, and use the primary (first sequential) address. Added "Page x of x" display to outbound viewing so you can know by looking how many total pages are available without having to actually page through them. The new color capabilities enabled by default can be turned off with the new -L command line parameter. If you don't like the color or the reverse video input panels, this will get rid of them and make AMAX look like it did before color was added. Outbound display limits are now implemented as bit fields, so you can individually turn the limits on and off by file type. This gives much greater flexibility in limiting your display to only those items you want to see. List send filename now defaults to PLEASE.ALL. Of course, you can always change it, but it is assumed that it's normally called PLEASE.ALL anyway. You can now put names in a PLEASE.ALL file for use with List AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 6 Send. Substitute an underscore for a space when putting one in. A possible PLEASE.ALL line might look like this: EXAMPLE 104/36 CHARLIE_FRNKA 132/101 . AMAX can now detect and handle LZHmail and ZIPmail, in addition to the previously supported ARCmail and ZOOmail. All the various types are shown separately during a View/Edit Outbound function. All unpackers must be in the current directory or on the DOS path, otherwise compressed mail unpacking WILL NOT WORK. Handled the bug with there not being a PROMPT= setting in the environment when doing shells to DOS. It now fabricates the standard prompt, e.g., C> or D> etc. When entering file requests, you are prompted whether you'd like to enter more requests to a different node, so you don't have to keep exiting and re-entering that section when preparing requests for several different nodes. Some limited color capability has been added. It's not apt to get much fancier than this. This was difficult enough to implement, and anything much more fancy would require LOTS of time and effort that's better spent elsewhere. At least it's not as dull. The number of alias addresses allowed in AMAX has been increased to 9. It won't get bigger without troublesome code changes. The -B command line switch now bypasses almost all junk to get you to the Main Menu quickly. Fixed a bug with some possible errant BINKLEY.CFG entries and with word processors like WordStar who put all sorts of Ctrl-Z garbage at the end of the file. AMAX no longer requires a nodelist to operate. This is activated with the -N command line switch. This should help people who don't want to keep two nodelist formats around just to please AMAX (like users who run TBBS). It's also handy for points. The only difference is that AMAX can't tell you whether a particular address is in the nodelist, or the name or location of any system. Many people may like this better anyway. It also saves you memory - whatever the size of the nodelist index happens to be is the amount you're saved. Note that AMAX always allows you to "blindly" send to any node, even if they are unknown, regardless of whether a nodelist is used. Reverse video input fields implemented. This gives you an idea of how much space you have to work with anyplace where string input is required. Faster searching during FIDOUSER.LST name look-up. It's not quite so miserable on my system now. Probably still miserable on AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 7 XT-class machines. When viewing the outbound area, you can now select a function, then use the arrow keys to choose the item you want to work with. An asterisk is shown next to the item you've selected. Press ENTER to start the function. When viewing the outbound area, you can press PgUp or PgDn as an alternative to pressing 'P' (for previous) or 'C' (for continue) respectively. Changed menus (again). I think it makes more sense now. There is a Main Menu, an Alternate Menu, and an Options Menu. Basically, some options were moved from Alternate to Options, so that the Options Menu covers anything relating to View/Edit outbound, and that Alternate is basically additional features not on the Main Menu. Added R)eturn to the Alternate and Options menus for returning to the Main Menu. Escape and Enter keys no longer exit the program in these menus - only from the Main Menu - to prevent accidental exiting from the program. Escape and Enter are the same as R)eturn on these menus. Extended compatibility with ARC-compatible unpackers. Now supports ARCE, PKXARC, PKUNPAK and PAK. ARC isn't supported at this time because it does not support unpacking of an archive to a sub-directory as the others do. The particular unpacker is selected from the command line only, using the -u parameter. -u0 selects ARCE (the default), -u1 selects PKXARC, -u2 PKUNPAK, and -u3 PAK. (This will not be made into a menu option, because one assumes that whichever unpacker you use won't change often.) Compressed mail is now displayed by default, because... ...zero-length compressed mail files are, by default, not displayed any longer. This allows compressed mail to always be displayed, because in the default configuration, the only compressed mail that's displayed is that which actually contains outbound mail. These options can be selected from the command line, or from the Options Menu. Because of the above, the default state of the -a command line option has been reversed. The -a option now tells AMAX NOT to display compressed mail, and will override the setting of the zero-length display option. Hopefully AMAX will be better with directory handling when unpacking compressed mail. AMAX makes its own temporary directory, but certain errors in the unpacking process would cause the directory not to be deleted. Next time AMAX would try to unpack ARCmail, it would abort because the directory was already there. Now, AMAX will see if the directory is there. If it is, it will delete it and any files in it before moving on. AMAX Version 2.20 - What's New? - Page 8 For reference, AMAX creates a sub-directory off the outbound directory called "AMAX" and puts unpacked files there temporarily. Added L)imit menu option for View/Edit outbound. This allows you to limit the display to one certain type of file. It remains "set" until it's changed again, or until you exit the program.