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XFER 3.3
Superior DSZ Control
Featuring: Zmodem single file downloads.
Zmodem BATCH downloads.
Zmodem single file uploads.
Zmodem BATCH uploads.
Point and shoot file selection.
Everything you ever wanted in a Zmodem shell.
______________________________________________________
Copyright information:
XFER 3.3 and all other versions of XFER are copyright by the
author, Russell B. Hildreth, and may not be sold, modified, or
otherwise tampered with, without permission of the author.
The program is distributed as shareware; try it, and if you like
it, register. If you don't want to register, delete the program
or give your copy to a friend. Registering the program helps
put the author through college.
There are no warranties associated with the program--use it
at your own risk. The Hildreth Group is not responsible for
any damage that may result from the use of this software.
DSZ is a registered trademark of Omen Technology. Use of
that product obligates registration with Omen Tech.
Document typeset May 7, 1990 for 05/10/90 release of
XFER Version 3.3.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
______________________________________________________
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Upgrading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Setting Up Your Comm Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What's New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Single File Downloading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Batch File Downloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Single File Uploading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Batch File Uploading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Autodownload(tm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Notes on DSZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Notes on XFERDIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Mouse Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Registering the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Contacting the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
______________________________________________________INSTALLATION:
1. Quick and dirty: Copy XFER.EXE, INSTALL.EXE, and
DSZ.COM into the same directory as your
communications program. Change to that directory
and run INSTALL.EXE (type INSTALL followed by a
return).
2. The Quick Installation Utility was designed to
intelligently update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to reflect
the parameters necessary for DSZ and XFER to run
together. You will be asked to provide information on
which serial communications port your modem is
connected to, which directory to use for uploading and
downloading, and which drive your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file is on. If you don't have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
one will be created. If you do have one, it will be
renamed AUTOEXEC.SAV before any changes are
made, in the unlikely event that anything should go
wrong.
3. The primary purpose of the Quick Installation Utility is
to create two DOS environment variables using the
DOS SET command, which is placed in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. One is DSZPORT, which DSZ
checks to find out which port your modem is
connected to. The other is XFERDIR, which XFER
uses to determine where to place your downloaded
files. You can change either of these variables at any
time by using a text editor to modify your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For more information on these
variables, see the section Notes on XFERDIR.
UPGRADING FROM PRIOR VERSIONS:
1. Copy the new release of XFER.EXE into your
communications program directory, right over the old
version.
2. Copy the new release of INSTALL.EXE into your
communications program directory, right over the old
version.
3. Copy DSZ.COM into your communications program
directory if it is not there already. You should be using
a version of DSZ dated no earlier that 1990 (i.e.,
01/19/90).
4. If you have an XFER.CFG file, erase it. This file is no
longer necessary for XFER to run.
5. Run the INSTALL program. If you are upgrading,
INSTALL will only make the necessary changes for the
latest version of XFER to run properly.
6. Reboot your computer.
You will be asked what directory to use for uploads and
downloads. You should specify a full path, including the drive
letter, in the form d:\directory. Your response will be placed
into a DOS environment variable (XFERDIR) and installed in
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
SETTING UP YOUR COMM PROGRAM:
Find your comm program here (hopefully) and follow the
directions. If you've used similar programs before, this should
be a snap. If I have made any mistakes in this section,
please let me know!
Procomm 2.4.x (shareware version):
From the terminal screen, enter the following
keystrokes:
ALT-S
4 <return>
1 <return>
XFER.EXE
<esc>
S <return>
<esc>
ALT-X
To execute XFER.EXE press ALT-A.
Procomm Plus (test drive or retail):
From the terminal screen, enter the following
keystrokes:
ALT-S
F
F -or- G
XFER <return>
<esc>
S
<esc>
ALT-X
Y
To execute XFER.EXE, press ALT-J -or- ALT-U,
depending on which hotkey you choose in the 3rd
step above.
Qmodem SST:
From the terminal screen, enter the following
keystrokes:
ALT-J
1
@SHELL XFER
<return>
<esc>
<esc>
ALT-X
Y
To execute XFER.EXE, press F1.
Telix 3.xx:
From the terminal screen, enter the following
keystrokes:
ALT-O
F
H {note, this should be Editor}
XFER.EXE <return>
<return>
W
ALT-X
Y
To execute XFER.EXE, press ALT-A.
WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.3?
Three items worth mentioning were changed or added. First
of all, the XFER.CFG file was dropped in favor of the XFERDIR
environment variable. This speeds program execution
somewhat (though it is probably not of great significance to
a human being). Second, the menu was changed to use the
more intuitive keys D, U, B, a, and T rather than the alphabet
order of before. Third, the menu was re-designed to support
the addition of the mouse interface. The mouse support can
be used to select an option from the menu, *and* to select
files from the point and shoot file selection window, which I've
personally found to be a wonderful convenience. If you've
never gotten around to getting a mouse, get one now,
especially if you do a lot of uploading.
That should cover it. I hope these changes make using the
program even easier than before.
The next release might be a tsr version, if there is enough
support for that idea. I like the idea of a tsr version because
it would be *much* easier to install in a wider variety of comm
programs, could use any hotkey combination rather than the
limited selection provided by most comm programs, and
could handle it's own execution, rather than being clumsily
executed by the comm program (I hate the way Procomm
Plus puts up the silly blank screen with the PRESS ANY KEY
message after a file transfer). Anyway, if it does become a tsr
program it would have facility for removing itself, so that it
could be run in a batch file such as:
XFER
PCPLUS
XFER /remove
or whatever. So, those are my thoughts for the future. If
anyone has any additional suggestions, please let me know.
WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.2?
Version 3.1/3.0 was a major rewrite, and of course, I managed
to get a couple of major bugs into it, which were not
discovered at the time it was released. They have been
corrected: First of all, the download directory would only be
found if it was on the same logical drive as XFER and your
comm program--you couldn't download to another drive as
stated in the documentation. Also, there was a transient bug
in the /n command line switch. Both of these problems have
been dealt with this in this release. I had planned version 3.2
to finally have mouse support, but I decided that fixing these
two bugs (especially the drive/directory bug) was more
important. Version 3.3 will have mouse support.
You can now use /R or /r on the command line to reuse the
existing Z.LST file for batch uploads. This probably won't
appeal to many people, but for those who need to upload the
same set of files to several places, or upload the same set of
files on a daily or weekly basis, this will be very convenient.
It works like this: If a Z.LST file exists, it will be used
immediately after you select the [D] Upload Batch option from
the main menu, and the batch transfer will begin. If there is
no Z.LST file, you will be able to create one with the point and
shoot file selection system, and it will then be used from that
time on. If at some point you wish to disable this, just take
the /r off of the command line. If you need to create an
entirely new Z.LST which you intend to use for multiple
uploads, the easiest thing to do would be to simply delete the
old one, or modify it manually with a text editor.
For more information, see the section on Command Line
Options.
As suggested by Steven Conrad, Version 3.2 now cleans up
after itself and deletes the Z.LST file (if there is one) when
XFER is done running (unless you use the /r command line
switch as specified above).
WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.1?
You can now turn OFF Mr. Bach by adding a /N or /n to the
command line--instead of playing the Bach music, it gives a
low budget beep. Some people asked for this, so here it is.
You can now point and shoot for batch uploads, instead of
having to type in each file name. A list is displayed for you on
the screen as you select each one. This was added pretty
quickly, though, and nothing was done to prevent you from
specifying the same file 20 times, so be careful. A Z.LST file
gets built, and then that is passed to DSZ for the upload. It
works, and it sure beats typing in each name.
The primary thing done to 3.0 was a complete rewrite in C.
I stopped programming in Pascal a long time ago and XFER
was about the only Pascal code I had left, and it was
becoming harder and harder for me to work on it, since I
couldn't remember Pascal very well. So, I tossed out the
whole version 2.1 that I had been working on and rewrote the
whole deal. Observant users will notice that this version is
smaller than the last one, even though it does a little more.
I also added support for the new MobyTurbo (tm) thing--
unfortunately none of the boards around here are using DSZ
versions new enough to support it :(
Oh, and I added the AutoDownload (tm) support accessible
from the main menu with [T] (how creative of me). So if you
want to use that, there it is.
With the change in the configuration file deal, you are no
longer limited to working on one drive. If you want all your
downloads to go to A:, specify A:\ (or whatever) for the
download directory, and they'll go there. If you want them to
go to some obscure directory on your M: drive, do it.
SINGLE FILE DOWNLOADING:
This is pretty straightforward: You call up XFER.EXE from
your comm program after telling whatever bulletin board you
are logged onto that you are starting a download, and then
you follow the prompts that XFER.EXE gives you. For a
single file download, you should select option [D] (download)
from the XFER menu, or move the mouse cursor to the
DnLoad box and click any mouse button. You can also hit
the <ESC> key to exit. You'll get the hang of it quickly,
especially if you've used similar programs.
When the transfer is completed some Bach music will be
played. If you get sick of listening to old Johann, you can hit
the spacebar or any other key and you will be dumped back
into your comm program. If you get REALLY sick of Johann,
add the /n command line switch wherever you are calling
XFER from in your comm program, and it will shut Johann up
permanently (see the section on command line options for
more information).
BATCH FILE DOWNLOADING:
This works just like single file downloading, but you can get
several files at one time, with no further keyboard input. Not
all BBS systems support batch transfers, but for those that do
this is a very handy option.
Start the batch transfer on the BBS end, using whatever
method the BBS you are logged onto requires for a batch
download--you will have to specify each file you wish to
download.
Once you have started the BBS downloading, call up XFER
from your comm program as specified in the setup section.
Select Menu option [B] for batch download, or click the
mouse on the BatchDn box. Each file will be downloaded
and placed in your up/download directory. That's all there is
to it.
SINGLE FILE UPLOADING:
Inform the BBS system to which you are connected that you
wish to upload a file. Once the BBS is ready to receive, call
up XFER from your comm program as specified in the setup
section. Select Menu option [U] for single file upload, or click
the mouse on the UpLoad box.
You will be placed in a point and shoot file selection system
which will show all of the files in your up/download directory.
Using the cursor keys, highlight the file you wish to upload,
and press <ENTER>. That file will be uploaded.
Currently there is no error checking, but DSZ will quickly
inform you if it didn't find the file (impossible with the point
and shoot mechanism). In a future version I'll add some more
user friendly error checking.
BATCH FILE UPLOADING:
This works the same as single file uploads, but you get to
specify as many filenames as you like. Inform the BBS
system you are connected with that you wish to initialize a
batch upload. When it is ready to receive files, call up XFER
from your comm program as specified in the setup section.
Select Menu option [a] for batch upload, or click the mouse
on the BatchUp menu box.
You will be placed in the point and shoot file selector system,
which will show all of the files in your up/download directory.
Highlight each file you wish to upload and press <ENTER>.
Keep specifying files until you are done, then hit <ESC>.
The list of files is stored in Z.LST in your comm program
directory, and DSZ checks that list and uploads them all. As
soon as you press <ESC> the transfer will begin.
Be generous and send your favorite local board about 30
files, and go off to the market.
If you need to transfer the same set of files repeatedly, see
the /r command line option.
AUTODOWNLOAD:
The AutoDownload(tm) mode of DSZ allows you to initialize a
file transfer from a BBS system and receive the file(s)
immediately without any further action on your part. This is
convenient, but limits the use of your communications
programs features--the autodownload mode takes over,
locking out your comm program, so using this mode is a
tradeoff. Try it out and see what you think.
After logging onto a BBS system, call up XFER from your
comm program as specified in the setup section. Select
Menu option [T] for Autodownload mode, or click the mouse
on the AutoDn menu box. DSZ will take control. You can go
about your BBSing business, and as soon as you initiate a
download it will begin.
NOTES ON DSZ:
WARNING: You should try to use a current version of
DSZ.COM at all times. The XFER shell attempts to make use
of all of DSZ's latest features, and if your version of DSZ is
out of date, XFER may not function with it. For example, the
MobyTurbo(tm) feature of DSZ is supported by XFER, and if
your version of DSZ is too old, the two programs will not work
together. New versions of DSZ are released regularly (about
every other month, sometimes more often) and you should try
to keep up with them.
NOTES ON XFERDIR:
XFERDIR is the DOS environment variable which stores the
name of the directory where your downloads go to and your
uploads (usually) come from. If you need help understanding
DOS environment variables, see your DOS manual. Another
example of a DOS environment variable is the DOS PATH
variable.
When you run the INSTALL program a line such as
SET XFERDIR = C:\DOWNLOAD
will be placed into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. XFER will refer
to this variable whenever it is run in order to know where to
send your downloads and get your uploads from. This will
allow you to send downloads to any directory you choose,
even if you are using an unregistered version of DSZ (though
this ability does not absolve you from the responsibility of
registering DSZ with Omen Technology).
If you wish to change the directory used for downloads, you
can use EDLIN or any other text editor to modify your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Keep in mind the following:
1. You must specify an XFERDIR environment
variable.
2. It must point to an existing directory.
3. You must specify a full path including the drive
letter.
Failure to satisfy each of these requirements will cause an
error when you try to run XFER. THE MOUSE INTERFACE:
If you have a mouse you will be able to use it to select menu
items and pick files for uploading. If you don't have a mouse
you can skip this section. A mouse is not required for the
program to operate.
To select a menu option, place the mouse cursor on the box
of the menu item you want and click any button.
To ESCAPE from main menu you can click on the upper left
hand corner box (works just like pressing the ESC key).
To select a file in the point and shoot file selection window,
move the highlight bar around with the mouse and click any
button on the file you want.COMMAND LINE OPTIONS:
I hesitated to add any command line options because I
wanted to keep this program simple to use. Most people will
never need these, and you can skip this section if you want
to keep your life simple.
The two command line options available are:
/N Turns off the Bach music, replacing it with a low
budget beep. Some people requested this, so
I put it in. If you get tired of the music, add this
option.
/R This option allows you to reuse the same Z.LST
file each time you perform a batch upload. This
might be very convenient for someone who
must upload the same set of files on a frequent
basis. Add this option, and if a Z.LST file exists
it will automatically be used (without the /R the
Z.LST file is always deleted and must be
repeatedly be recreated if you want to upload
the same files). If no Z.LST file exists, you will
be prompted to create one as with a regular
batch file upload.
Adding command line options:
Refer to the setup instructions for your particular
communications program, listed earlier in this document.
Simply append either or both of the above options after the
call to XFER -- i.e., XFER /n /r
For example, in Procomm Plus, you would go into the setup
menu with Alt-S, choose the File/Path Options, and add
whatever options you wanted under the appropriate hotkey
that you had chosen for XFER.
If all of this seems unduly complicated, don't bother with it.
These options are exactly that, options, added primarily
because a few people have requested them.
***Note, these options are not available in Procomm 2.4.x,
the shareware version. Upgrade to Procomm Plus!ERROR HANDLING:
Or rather lack thereof. In order to keep the program size
down I have left out most error handling. Only the very
minimum has been provided, which means it is up to you to
be sure to set things up properly, and check the instructions
if things don't go right the first time. Chances are, however,
that if you run the INSTALL program, everything will work out
fine.
The error handling that is provided basically only checks to
see if a XFERDIR environment variable exists, and whether
you have specified a valid upload/download directory. Failure
to do either of these things properly results in a brief error
message.
Other than that, there isn't much else you can do wrong, so
you shouldn't have to worry.
REGISTERING THE SOFTWARE:
Registering: It costs $10 to register, half the price of DSZ. I
won't indulge myself further and go on a lengthy tirade about
the ethics of registering. You know what to do. If you don't
want to pay, don't use the software. Delete it from your hard
drive and give any floppy copies to friends.
What do you get for registering? The latest version of the
software if there is one, or the next release. You'll also get a
nice typeset copy of the documentation. I also have an
inclination for doing things that people ask--if you want some
special custom modification I'll probably do it. You also get
to feel good.
CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
If you have a problem, I'm here. Likewise for suggestions.
Oh, for registrations, too! On Compuserve, send EasyPlex
mail to 71041,2132, or write to:
Russell Hildreth
P.O. Box 72431
Davis, CA 95617-2431
I want to hear from you. Tell me anything you think might
apply. Tell me how you set up the program with some off
brand comm program. Tell me what you'd like to see added
in a future version. Tell me to jump off a cliff. Tell me
anything.
The Hildreth Group is ALWAYS very open to your
suggestions, and they are usually implemented into a future
edition of the software.
REVISION HISTORY
XFER Zmodem Transfer Shell - Version 3.3
Updated 05/09/90: Version 3.3
- Quick Installation Utility updated to reflect changes in
version 3.3.
Updated 05/07/90: Version 3.3
- Menu changed.
- Mouse support added.
- XFER.CFG eliminated, replaced with DOS
environment variable (XFERDIR).
Updated 04/21/90: Version 3.2
- Bug Fixes: Version 3.1 did NOT properly change
directories under certain circumstances, and would not
change drives under ANY circumstances. Corrected
via new logdir() function. This affected the download
directory.
- Also, corrected a transient bug in the NoBach and
NoRemove variables, so they now function correctly
100% of the time.
- Version 3.2 now cleans up after itself, deleting the
Z.LST file upon exit unless the /r command line param
is used. Thanks to Steven Conrad for the suggestion.
- Updated the sound routines to use SoundKit functions.
Updated 04/14/90: Version 3.2
- Documentation revised.
Updated 04/08/90: Version 3.2
- /R command line option added.
Updated 04/07/90: Version 3.1
- corrected bug in <C> upload point and shoot: If the
up/download directory was empty, the program would
error out.
- monochrome monitor support added.
Updated 03/23/90:
- point and shoot for BATCH transfers added
- MobyTurbo added
- /N command line switch for NoBach added
Updated 02/15/90:
- Zmodem AutoDownload(tm) support added
Updated 10/08/89:
- Changed title screen for official release of version 2.0
Updated 07/28/89:
- Version 2.0
- Support for monochrome monitor systems
- Now uses Zmodem Compressed when sending. DSZ
automatically falls back to regular Zmodem if receiving
system does not support Zmodem Compressed.
- -Z parameter added.
- Won't disconnect if No Carrier Detected. d parameter.
- Pop-Up Directory selection for single file uploading.