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!README!.1ST
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1990-08-17
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316 lines
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RELEASE NOTES FOR GENIE PC ALADDIN(tm) VERSION 1.30
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are upgrading from Aladdin versions 1.03 to 1.30, you need to
replace the following files,
ALAD.EXE
ALADDIN.EXE
ALADDIN.HLP
GENIE.LST
== IMPORTANT ==
ALL USERS MUST ASK ALADDIN TO UPDATE THE TOPIC INDEXES FOR ALL
THE RT'S IN WHICH THEY VISIT THE MESSAGE AREAS. NO EXCEPTIONS.
This is because we have changed the format of the .TOP topic
file and you have to ask Aladdin to rebuild it.
If you are using a version of Aladdin earlier than 1.10, you
need to copy the ALADCVT.EXE program to your current Aladdin
directory and run it. It will convert your existing ALADDIN.CFG
to the 1.30 format and make a backup copy of your previous
ALADDIN.CFG in a file called ALADCFG.OLD.
If you are using Aladdin versions 1.10 through 1.20, no changes
need to be made to your ALADDIN.CFG configuration file.
- NOTE TO ALADDIN 1.00 USERS -
ALADCVT.EXE will not convert an ALADDIN.CFG configuration file
created by version 1.00 of Aladdin. If you are still using
version 1.00, you will need to write down your configuration
data, delete ALADDIN.CFG and run the new ALADDIN.EXE program
file to create a new ALADDIN.CFG (it will create one by itself).
You can then re-enter your configuration information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
- Major Changes
1) Modified .DBF handler code so that a) it draws the file's
header size from the file itself instead of a hard-coded number,
allowing for use of LIBFILES.DBF directly and b) it truncates
the last char from the file before a check for new files if it
is a Ctrl-Z to avoid the offset listing problem.
2) Asynch buffer size (and hence the lookback buffer as well)
has been doubled in size to 16k. The reason is to give 8088
machines more breathing room in the buffer during long ops and
to increase the size of the lookback buffer.
3) Added /NOMACROS command line argument to disable keyboard
macros on machines that can't handle them.
4) Added /NODMA command line argument for PCjr and other non-DMA
machines. All this does is tell Zmodem that the maximum data to
be sent at one time is 512 bytes, and that the sender (GEnie's
SZ) should wait for an acknowledgement before sending any more
data. This in effect turns Zmodem into a slow Xmodem-like
protocol, but it works on the non-DMA machines.
5) Added variable headers and MobyTurbo support to the Zmodem
driver.
6) Modified file viewer to use a virtual mem scheme so it can
view any size file up to 64,000 lines long.
7) Modified help screen for Technical Support to try and
convince people that they should not call me in Puerto Rico for
technical support. For one thing, the call is expensive, and I'm
not always there (but my answering machine is)... <sigh>
8) Added notice logging, viewing and flushing functions. The "N"
option in the terminal mode menu views notices, the "F" option
flushes them.
9) Added code that forces user to read the bulletin if there are
msgs pending to read and the user presses "R" on the BB menu.
File viewer now also accepts the right arrow key as a valid exit
key so that users don't have to press Esc to move from the
bulletin to the first message. Seems more intuitive to me that
way, anyway.
10) Aladdin now keeps a "bookmark" of the the message that the
user was reading on GEmail or the RT's. It does -not- retain the
bookmark when you exit Aladdin, it only retains it while you are
running Aladdin. For example, if you were reading message 16 on
the IBM RT and you had to go look at a file and come back to
reading, but you DID NOT exit Aladdin, when you press "R" to
read the IBM RT messages again Aladdin will put you right on
message 16, where you left off. The bookmark is also reset when
you download new messages.
11) Modified reply code so that multiple replies to the same
topic are merged into one. This is done by checking to see if a
reply to a topic already exists and if so bringing that one up
for editing instead of creating a new one.
12) Modified autopass download code with Zmodem enabled so that
it queues on the ZRQINIT to start a Zmodem download after
receiving the "File is ready prompt."
13) Increased max category limit to 99.
14) Increased SL limit to 15,000 files.
15) Modified message upload to use *UP instead of *B. Noticeably
faster now.
16) Increased available RT's to 21.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
- Minor Changes
1) Added PgDn, PgUp, Home and End key support to the category
selection screen that you get when you want to start a topic.
2) Added code to wait for OK from modem when sending modem
commands. Aladdin will wait 5 seconds for the OK, otherwise it
will continue on its merry way. The OK is -not- necessary for
Aladdin to function properly.
3) Fixed script language HIDE command bug (wasn't working).
4) Fixed problem with bulletin not being updated when checking
for new files only.
5) Changed notify reply message to let the sender know that the
notify has been stored and the user has been notified of its
arrival.
6) Modified code so that if in config screen and on break char
or prompt char fields and the user presses F1 for help, when the
user exits help the field will not be filled with an ASCII 255.
7) Squashed "ALL" loop bug.
8) Documented SENDSPECIALCOMMAND script command in the help
facility.
9) Changed the definition of the LIBRARY field in the .DBF
files from numeric to character to match the LIBFILES
definition.
10) Added code to display RT name at top of "J" to id what RT's
files are being displayed.
11) Added, for consistency, code that moves cursor down after a
AUT, # or DAT mark on a topic.
12) /MR lockup problem squashed.
13) Added code to check for lost carrier in Xmodem download or
upload.
14) Modified Zmodem code so that files downloaded manually with
Zmodem will go to the same directory specified as the Xmodem
attached file download path in the config screen.
15) Modified login code so that if modem is reporting DCD high
(connect) but there is no connection to GEnie Aladdin will
timeout 5 seconds after sending a CR to determine if GEnie's
online and not having gotten any response.
16) Modified dialing code so that Aladdin will only redial 10
times if it can't make a connection.
17) Modified Zmodem code to more accurately show file transfer
efficiencies and to show exact number of bytes, packets
and file transfer efficiency at end of transfer instead of
showing the GEnie file numbers with the rounding adjustment.
18) Fixed obscure Xmodem bug that would cause problems if the
network ate an Xmodem packet.
19) Fixed message/upload edit code so that user don't gets
phantom edit select line.
20) Fixed incorrect TO: field scanning code in reply handler.
Aladdin now correctly determines FROM, TO and SUB fields in
making reply.
21) Aladdin now hangs up phone if a runtime error is encountered.
22) Added code to strip paths from work files names when the
names are posted on the lower right hand corner status field.
23) Added verification of download path for GEmail attached files
and RoundTable setup download path.
24) Fixed problem with category list being corrupted when Aladdin
checks for new messages in an RT.
25) Fixed problem with cursor moving to wrong place in main menu
when up/down arrows are pressed to display RT list.
26) Fixed problem with extracting to non-existent file.
27) Modified script interpreter so that it doesn't try to init
terminal mode every time a script is to be run (perform).
28) Modified ENDCAPTURE statement so that runtime error code is
not generated if capture file is not open.
29) Modified code so that GEmail menu item on main menu is marked
correctly depending on what action is queued up.
30) Modified J screen file mark code to make sure that it deletes
any check files that it creates in the process of checking for
the existence of a file.
31) Modified message reply code so that it doesn't show the
instructions that say you can edit the PATH field when entering
a private REPLY to a BB message.
32) Modified local SL search code to allow search to go back 9999
days (and 9999 as the default) because many files were uploaded
more than 1000 days ago and they would not show on local
searches.
33) Modified file description browse code to erase 0 byte file
created when the user tells Aladdin to download the browsed
file.
34) Modifed BBS and SL code so that the currently selected topic
or file, respectively, is highlighted to make selections easier
to see.
35) Modified exit code to display more complete runtime error
information and possible causes.
36) Reinstated capability to save and print messages more than
once.
37) Modified comm init code to pick up COM port base port
addresses from DOS low memory table. COM port driver now checks
table at 40:0 to find base port address for the port Aladdin is
to use. If it doesn't find it, it sets the port to the proper
port address then calls the BIOS to init it.
38) Modified message reply code so that if a message reply is
turned into an email to be sent from the RT the program doesn't
query for Subject or file: (can't send an attached file with a
SEND command from the BB).
39) Modified login from product index so that Aladdin waits for
the GEnie prompt before doing anything else on that type of
special login. This should take care of the problem with the
READ prompt being issued to fast.
40) Modified exit cleanup routine to stop and log billing if the
billing counter is still running when it comes time to exit to
DOS.
41) Added code that makes sure that exi/timep is triggered for
checking mail.
42) Modified "H" command so that it takes you to the CB if you
press it while having the LiveWire ChatLines BB selected. SL
menu code was also modified to match.
43) Added HHH script command that turns on and off the sending
out of the "HHH" characters required to get the U#= login prompt
from the node. "HHH ON" enables the sending of the three H's,
"HHH OFF" disables it. This was added to accomodate European
users who do not need the "HHH" to get the U#= prompt and who
need to use the /LS argument along with a customized login
script...
44) Added /HELP and /? command line options which cause Aladdin
to display a list of command line arguments available, then exit
to DOS.
45) Modified the Zmodem driver so that if it is called with a
full path AND filename to download to it ignores the filename
that GEnie sends it and uses the given one instead. Modified
filename display on top of download status window so that it
displays the full path and filename, truncated to 30 characters.
If the path and filename is greater than 30 chars it truncates
to 27 and appends three periods "...".
46) Implemented scrolling category display for the "T" command to
handle the new 99 max category limit. ALL TOPIC INDEXES MUST BE
UPDATED WHEN UPGRADING TO THIS NEW VERSION.
47) Added code in Zmodem terminal mode autodownload trigger to
flush asynch buffer again when Zmodem download is finished and
turn off the Zmodem trigger ^X boolean var.
48) Login string is now completely hidden, does not show up even
in scrollback.
49) Modified RT pending action marks on main menu, pending
incoming has right marker, pending outgoing has left marker,
pending incoming and outgoing has left-right arrow.
50) Added Ctrl-End keystroke to terminal mode, sends out a true
break.
51) Modified code so that last file name prompted for is retained
in pop up windows, such as for Alt-F8, etc.
52) Fixed problem with multiple reply edit requests that would
cause the program to run out of file handles and cause very
unpredictable behavior.
53) Fixed problem with Alt-F8 viewer not showing last line of
displayed text.
54) Fixed problem with product index sort request locking up
the machine.
55) Fixed problem with invalid file numbers in download requests.