Best of Shareware/Best of PC Windows Shareware 1.0 - Wayzata Technology (7111) (1993).iso/mac/DOS/TELECOMM/CILNK252/CILINK#1.EXE/CILINK.DOC

Text File | 1992-09-22 | 29KB | 699 lines

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           C E D A R   I S L A N D   L I N K

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Features:

Extensive mouse support, including our exclusive "Mouse Pass-through".
Support of all of the popular file transfer protocols including:
  CompuServ B+,Xmodem,Xmodem 1K,Xmodem 1KG,Ymodem YmodemG,
  Zmodem,Zmodem resume,Kermit,Ascii,CompuServ B+,
  and 4 external protocols !
AutoZmodem download.
UnZips compressed files.
Ease of installation and operation.
Split-screen chat mode.
Communications using COM1 through COM4
Data rates from 300 baud to over 100 Kilobaud.
Easy-to-use script language for automated logons.
ANSI/BBS and VT100 terminal emulations are implemented.
DeskView, TaskView, and OmniView and aware.
Host Mode with remote Drop-To-DOS capability.
Doorway Mode.
Support for ANSI Music.
200 entry phone list.
SuperVGA GIF image viewer.  Automatically displays GIF Image on download.
Support for fast modems and buffered UARTs.
Product support is just a phone call away for registered users.

==========================================================

Required Hardware:
IBM PC clone.
Any Video card.
512k Ram.
Hayes compatable modem.

Suggested Hardware:
Mouse.
Hard Drive.

Required Software:
DOS 2.1 or better.


1) About Mouse Pass-through.

This feature allows you to send keystrokes back to the host BBS without
touching the keyboard.  It is implemented through clicking the mouse
on any character in the terminal window.  The character under the mouse
cursor will be sent back to the host bulletin board.  This is a truly
useful feature which will make your modeming a pleasure.

Mouse Pass-through has been expanded to allow for pass-through of strings.
Just hold the left mouse button down on the first word in the string then
move the mouse to end of the string to be sent and release the mouse button.
The string will be sent to the host BBS without ever touching the keyboard.

An option in SETUP allows you to choose wheather you want a carriage-
return to be automatically sent following your mouse pass-through
selection.   This feature is handy for BBS's that don't support
"Hot-Keys".  You may also force the mouse to send a carriage return
by clicking on a blank section of the terminal window.



2) About Auto-Zmodem download.

Cedar Island Link implements Auto-Zmodem download as a useful feature
found in very few other communications packages.  What this feature
does is to automatically start the PC end of a Zmodem filetransfer
without any intervention from you.  This feature makes downloading a
breeze - All you have to do is to setup a Zmodem transfer from the BBS
and then CILINK automatically displays its filetransfer status screen
and shows the Zmodem transfer in progress.

Note: Auto-Zmodem download is only in effect if Zmodem is selected as
your default filetransfer protocol.



3) About setting up Cedar Island Link.

Setting up CILINK is easy.  If you are installing for the first time
then just type INSTALL and be sure to correctly enter your com port.
After the install CILINK should be setup properly.  If you need to
modify your set up after installation then hit F10 or click the right
mouse button so that the menu bar pops up over the terminal window.
Click on Setup.  Now you may modify your configuration.

o  Default download directory  - This is the directory where your file
   transfer uploads and downloads will go to if you dont specify a
   complete path on the transfer.  It defaults to C:\CILINK\FILES, you may
   wish to change it to another directory like C:\BBS if that is where
   you would like to keep your BBS files.  If no default directory is
   specified or an invalid directory is specified, the transferred
   files will go to the current directory.

o  Modem init string - This is the command that will be sent to your
   modem when CILINK starts up.  It may usually be left blank, but in
   some cases, you may wish to set up your modem with a special config-
   uration.   A good command to place here is ATM0. (Turn off the
   modem's speaker.)

o  Com Port - Set this to the port to which your modem is attached.
   Do not set it to your mouse port, or, as they say in the IBM main-
   frame world, "Unpredictable Results May Occur".

o  Baud Rate - Set the to the default baud you wish to use.
               (See the section "About Slower PC's)

o  Data Bits - Set this to the default number of data bits to use.
   (Usually 8)

o  Parity - Set this to the default parity to use.
   (Usually NO PARITY.)

o  Stop Bits - Set this to the default number of stop bits to use.
   (Usually 1.)

o  Protocol - Set this to the default file transfer protocol to use.
   (Usually Zmodem.)

o  Emulation - Select ANSI,VT100, or TTY.
   (Usually ANSI)

o  Save Setup - Save the setup information in a configuration file so
   that the next time you load CILINK, you will have all the setup
   information included automatically.  You will be asked for the name
   to save it under.  Normally you would save it under CILINK.DAT.

o  Load Setup - Load a setup from disk.  If you had previously saved a
   configuration to disk, you may load it into CILINK using this entry.
   Normally you would not need to do this because CILINK.DAT is loaded
   automatically at start-up time.

o  Display Setup - This shows the current settings that are being used
   by CILINK.   You may get the same information from within the term-
   inal window by pressing F2.

o  Toggles - Click on this entry to see a list of the following toggles.
o     ANSI - Select either ANSI/VT100 terminal emulation or no terminal
             emulation.
             (Usually ANSI on)

o     ECHO - Select either ECHO ON to display outgoing characters on
             the screen or ECHO OFF to not display outgoing characters.
             (Usually ECHO OFF)

o    CR/LF - Select either Carriage Return only at end of line or
             Carriage Return and LineFeed at end of line.
             (Usually CR only)

o  RTS/CTS - Turn on or off sensitivity to handshaking signals on the
             wires connecting your computer to your modem.
             RTS = Request to Send.  CTS = Clear to Send.
             (Usually RTS/CTS on)

o  XON/XOFF- Turn on or off sensitivity to handshaking signals sent as
             data between your computer and your modem.
             XON = Transmit on.  XOFF = Transmit off.
             (Usually XON/XOFF off)

o      DIAL- Select between Tone, Pulse and Default telephone dialing
             methods.   Tone = Dial using "Touch-Tones".
                        Pulse = Dial using "Rotary dial pulses"
                        Default = Use whatever the modem defaults to.
             (Usually Tone)

o   MouseCR- Select either: send no carriage return after Mouse Pass-Through
                        or: send a carriage return after Mouse Pass-Through
             (Usually No Carriage return)


4) About the Dial List.

This is where you setup and select phone numbers of BBS's to dial.
Simply click on the item you want and that phone number will be dialed.
If the number which you dialed was busy, you will be asked if you want
to automatically re-dial that number.   You will have the opportunity to
select the time between redials.  If you just hit enter CILINK will redial
every 60 seconds.

To modify a script, first make sure there is a script entry for the
phone number you are modifying.  Next press F7.  Your are in the
script editor.  Add your script commands and press ESC when you are
done.   Note: You must have entered the script name previously with
F9.

To delete an entry, cursor to the line to be deleted and press F8.

To add or revise an entry, cursor to the line to be modified, and press
F9.  This will pop up a data entry window which asks for the BBS name,
phone number, parity, databits, stopbits and data rate for the entry.
You may also enter an optional script name here which will be used
to automatically log you on to a BBS .  You can edit this script file
with F7.  A field is also provided called "Special modem cmd".  This
is where you would enter commands to your modem specific to this phone
entry only.  You can use a command to turn off your modem data compression
if that is needed while contacting older style modems.  The special
modem command is issued before the phone number is dialed.  You dont
need to enter anything in the script name or special modem command fields
if you dont want to.  They are just here in case you need them.
  Fill out the fields in the data entry window and press CTRL-Enter to save
the entry to disk.  Now you can use that entry to dial your favorite
bulletin board.

The dial list is so simple to use that the best way to learn how it
works is to use it.   You may select the DialList from the terminal
window by pressing the Alt-D hot key.


5) About the File Transfer selection.

This selection is where you select either upload or download.  You are
then asked which filetransfer protocol to use.  Use this entry to tran-
sfer a file using a protocol other than your default protocol.

Normally you would not use this entry.  You would instead press the
PGDN or PGUP buttons to transfer using the default protocol.  You can
also click on the "Mouse Hot-Box" in the upper right corner of the menu
bar.  The Mouse Hot-Box will pop up a box which will let you transfer
using the default protocol.

The simplest way to do a download, however, is to set Zmodem as your
default protocol.  That way you don't have to do anything to
download a file.   As soon as Cedar Island Link detects a Zmodem
download in progress it automatically starts the PC end of the Zmodem
transfer.


6) About the HangUp selection.

This selection will cause your modem to hang up.  You may also hit
the Alt-H hot key to hang up the phone from the terminal window.
You will be asked if you really want to hang up.  Just press enter or
click the mouse to hang up.
Note:  If your modem doesnt hang up properly, try entering AT&D2&C1
       as your modem init string under Setup.  Be sure to save setup.


6) About the Capture selection.

This selection toggles on and off the capture file.  You may use the
capture file to save the information which scrolls across your terminal
window for use later.   A typical reason to use a capture file is to
capture help information from the host BBS into a file that you can
later print out.  Choosing the Capture file selection will display a
prompt that asks you which filename to save the capture file under.
Choosing the Capture file selection again will cause the capture file
to be turned off.


7) About the Utilities selection.    (UnZip Edit Browse)

This is a pull-down menu that allows you to Shell to DOS, Enter an
Editor, or view the files in a directory.   If you Shell out to DOS,
remember to type "EXIT" to return to CILINK.  With this handy feature
you can get out to DOS and do a few commands, like TYPE CAPTURE.FIL,
and then exit back to CILINK without hanging up the modem.
CILINK swaps most of itself out to Expanded, ExTENded memory or disk
as available.  If Expanded is installed it will be used in preference
to ExTENded memory or disk.  If neither Expanded or ExTENded memory are
installed in your machine CILINK will swap itself out to disk.

The Directory selection puts up a display of the current directory. You
may jump around directories by pressing enter on any directory name in
the list.

Press enter or F1 to browse a file.
Press F2 to delete a file.
Press F3 to UNZIP a  File.
Press ESC or hit the right mouse button to end the Directory.

The Editor selection requires a second of explanation.  All this entry
does is to send a single command to DOS.  This command is "EDIT".  If
you have an editor in your path called EDIT it will be executed.  When
you are through with your editor you will be given back to CILINK.  You
may also create a batch file that calls your editor.
For example EDIT.BAT could contain these two lines:

ECHO OFF
CIEDIT                            Start your favorite editor.

You must have enough free memory to load and execute your editor or
you will given immediately back to CILINK.


8) About the Help selection.

This entry puts up a simple help panel which displays the Hot Keys you
can use within CILINK.   You may also bring up the Help panel by hitting
F1 from within the terminal window.


9) About the Quit selection.

This entry allows you to quit Cedar Island Link.  You will be asked if
you really want to exit CILINK.  Press Enter or hit the mouse button to
quit.   A ShareWare banner is then displayed.  Hit enter or hit a mouse
button to return to the DOS prompt.   (The ShareWare banner is not
present in the registered version of Cedar Island Link).  You may also
quit CILINK by pressing the hot key Alt-X.


10) About Split-Screen Chat Mode.

This is a handy feature that makes connecting with your friends over
the phone lines a pleasure.  Press the hot key Alt-C to enter Chat
mode and two windows appear.   The top window is Received data and the
bottom window is for Transmitted data.   To leave Chat mode, hit Alt-C
again and the two Chat windows will go away.  You will be back then
in the terminal window.

11) About the Mouse Hot-Button.

The Mouse Hot-Button is a small box located at the far right of the
Menu Bar.  It is intended to allow the mouse to simulate some of the
hotkeys that would normally be entered from the keyboard.

Click on the Mouse Hot-Button and a small pop-up window appears which
allows you to:
   DOWNLOAD using the default protocol     (like PGDN)
   UPLOAD   using the default protocol     (like PGUP)
   CHAT     Toggle split-screen chat mode. (like Alt-C)


12) About Auto-Logon Scripts:

The implementation of logon scripts within CILINK couldn't be simpler.
If you have specified a logon script to be executed, and if you have
created that script file with an ASCII editor, it will be automatically
started when your modem connects with the host BBS.
Script filenames should end in ".SCR" ie "RBBS.SCR".

There are only 5 script commands which are recognized by CILINK.
The commands may be entered in mixed-case.  Other text will appear
as comments to CILINK.

The valid script commands are:

  Delay    -  Do nothing for a given number of seconds.
  WaitFor  -  Wait for a string of text.
  DoShell  -  If the previous WaitFor was successful then Shell to DOS.
  SendTxt  -  Send a string of text.
              A carriage return is also sent after the string is sent.
  SendKey  -  Send a character.
              The character must be entered in either decimal or hex format.
              For example,  to send an ESC character you would enter either
              SendKey 27   or   SendKey $1B.

Here is an example script:

*--------------------------------------------------
* Wait for a string to be sent to you from the BBS
*--------------------------------------------------
WaitFor What is your name?

*-----------------------------------------------
* Send back a response to the previous question
*-----------------------------------------------
SendTxt Mike Caughran

*----------------------
*  Pause for 5 seconds
*----------------------
Delay 5

*----------------------------------------------
*  Send two ESCape characters
*  Note that you may use either a hex
*  or decimal representation of the character
*----------------------------------------------
SendKey 27
SendKey $1B

A script may be aborted by pressing Escape.
That's all there is to it.  If you have any problems, take a look
at the provided sample scripts.  Registered users may always call
us for assistance.



13) About start-up parameters:

Normally you would start CILINK by just typing "CILINK" at the DOS
prompt.   If needed, you may also start CILINK with parameters.
Any combination of the following parameters may be entered.

  For Example.
    CILINK MYSETUP.DAT      -  Start up with a configuration file
                               different than CILINK.DAT.

    CILINK /MONO            -  Start up CILINK using the black and white
                               colorset.  This is useful for some laptops.

    CILINK /HostMode        -  Start up CILINK in host mode.

    CILINK /HideMouse       -  Start up CILINK and hide the mouse
                               cursor in the terminal window.

    CILINK /CheckSnow       -  Start up CILINK and turn on "Snow"
                               suppression for older CGA cards.

    CILINK /CheckBreak      -  Start up CILINK and allow the customer
                               to abnormally terminate CILINK with a
                               CTRL-Break.

    CILINK /NoAlert         -  Start up CILINK with sound effects turned
                               off.

    CILINK /COM1            -  Force CILINK to start up using COM1.
    CILINK /COM2            -  Force CILINK to start up using COM2.
    CILINK /COM3            -  Force CILINK to start up using COM3.
    CILINK /COM4            -  Force CILINK to start up using COM4.

    (Note: Sometimes CILINK cannot detect COM3 or COM4 so these command
           line parameters will force startup using the selected port
           after CILINK is started you can go into SETUP and save
           the desired port.  You should not have to use these start
           up parameters after you have saved your setup.)

    CILINK /PS2            -  Force PS2 definitions of the addresses of
                              COM3 and COM4.

14) About the available hot keys:

F1  = Help.
F2  = Display configuration.
F10 = Display the pop-up menu bar.

Alt-C = Toggle split-screen chat mode on or off.
ALT-H = Hang up.
Alt-G = Capture the current terminal window to disk.
Alt-D = Pop up the phone number pick list.
Alt-X = Quit CILINK.
Alt-L = Toggle Host mode.
Alt-= = Toggle DoorWay mode.
PGUP = Upload using the default protocol.
PGDN = Download using the default protocol.
HOME = Clear the terminal window.
ESC = This is the abort key.  It may be used while a file transfer is in
      progress to abort an upload or download.  It may be used to abort
      the dialing or auto-redialing of a number.

      The menu bar, the phone number pick list, as well as any pop-up
      window may all be exited by using this key.

      If you are in the terminal window, connected to a BBS, the ESC
      key will just be passed-through to the BBS.

Left MouseButton  = Perform the action under the cursor if in a pop-up
                    window.  If in the terminal window, this button sends
                    the character under the cursor back to the BBS.

Right MouseButton = Exit from the current window.  If in the terminal window
                    this button displays the menubar.

Left ClickAndDrag = If in the terminal window this button sends the string
                    which has been dragged over back to the BBS.




15)  About the protocol transfer status screen:
This screen gives you all the statistics you would ever want concerning
your filetransfer.   The most useful items are the time to completion,
and the percent completed graphic bar.   When the transfer completes,
the status screen will close and you will hear an attention signal.

For you experienced communications software users:   The efficiency
percentage appears lower than that seen in some other software packages.
This is because we measure the statistics from the start of the transfer
including all initialization handshaking which takes place.  Other com
programs just measure the efficiency after the first packet of data has
been passed.  We feel that the efficiency numbers which CILINK displays
are more realistic, if not as dramatic.


16)  About external protocols:
External Protocols are implemented by shelling out to DOS and executing
a batch file which has your protocol in it.  For example, if you selected
external protocol download 1, CILINK would execute EXTDOWN1.BAT.  You
should place your external protocol commands in that .BAT file.
External protocol upload commands would go in EXTUP1.BAT through EXTUP4.BAT.
Note: EXTDOWN4.BAT and EXTUP4.BAT execute a Quick DOS shell rather than
      a Swapping DOS shell.  The Quick DOS shell is faster but takes
      more memory to execute.
eg.
ECHO OFF
PCZ 1 2400 sz

You may also use the external protocol facility of CILINK to start the
PC end of a BBS DOOR game.

eg.
ECHO OFF
GWterm


17) About "Screen-Scan" :
Normally you will use a batch protocol like ZMODEM.  These protocols pass
the name of the file as part of the handshaking they do as they start up.

You may, however, have to use a non-batch protocol like Xmodem or ASCII
to do your your download.  Typically this is what would happen :

First you would ask the host BBS to initiate an Xmodem filetransfer download.
The BBS would then ask you for the file name of the file to transmit.
Next, you would be told to start the PC end of the file transfer.
You would then start an Xmodem download on the PC and retype the filename
which you had just entered on the BBS.

As you can see, there can be a lot of manipulation just to do a download.

Screen-Scan makes things just a bit easier by scanning the terminal
window from the bottom line up until it finds a valid filename.  It
then grabs the filename from the screen and supplies it for you on the
PC end as a default.



18) About slower PCs.
PCs which have an 8088 processor running at 4.77 MHz will be limited to
9600 baud.  If you have turned on the /CheckSnow command line switch to
eliminate snow on older CGA monitors, then you will be limited to operation
at 4800 baud.

If you have selected Zmodem as your file transfer protocol you will be
limited to 4800 baud.  You may transfer files at 9600 baud using YModem
or Xmodem as these non-streaming protocols pace themselves to the speed of
the recieving PC.
Be sure to go into SETUP/TOGGLES/RTS-CTS and select USE RTS/CTS Handshaking.
This will insure that your modem doesnt run faster than you computer can.

18) About CILINK and DeskView.

Cedar Island Link is DeskView aware.  That is, it will run successfully
in a DeskView window.  Cedar Island Edit is NOT DeskView aware and will
overwrite other DeskView windows unless special actions are taken within
DeskView.


19) About Host mode.

To have CILINK act like a bulletin board, you may start host mode by
pressing Alt-L.   Cilink will then wait for a RING from the modem and then
will answer the phone.  The caller may then list, upload or download files
which are in your default download directory.  (You set up the default
download directory from the SETUP/DIRECTORY entry of the main menu bar.)

You may switch from Host mode to Chat mode by pressing Alt-C.  You can then
chat with the remote user.  To return to host mode press Alt-C again to
terminate chate mode, then press Alt-L to re-enter host mode.

If a remote user selects "S" for Remote DOS Shell he will have to enter
the password "ISLAND" in order to drop to DOS.  CILINK will then execute
HOSTDOOR.BAT and pass HOSTDOOR the currently used COM port.

For example, if you are configured to use COM2, and your remote user
types "S" followed by "ISLAND", CILINK will execute HOSTDOOR COM2.
The file HOSTDOOR.BAT can contain any valid DOS commands including
"CTTY COM2"  or  "DOORWAY COM2".   Examine HOSTDOOR.BAT for further
information.

Note: If you dont want to allow users to remotely drop to DOS, you can
      just delete the file HOSTDOOR.BAT.  (You may also want to edit
      HOST001.PNL to remove the reference to remote DOS Shell.)


20) About Doorway mode.

If you press Alt-= (Alt Equals) you will toggle CILINK's doorway mode.
In doorway mode all keys are passed out the com port without being
interpreted by CILINK.  For example, assume you have dialed a bulletin
board which has a door program which uses F1 for help.  If you pressed
F1 to get help from the door program you would get Cedar Island Link's
help panel not the one from the door.  To allow all keys to be passed
on to the door program, press Alt-= to toggle the doorway mode of CILINK
on.  When you are done with the door program you can toggle doorway mode
off by pressing Alt-= again.  Refer to the documentation supplied with
the excelent shareware program DOORWAY.EXE for more information reguarding
doorway mode.

Note: Switching into doorway mode causes the information line to disappear
      from the top of the screen and also causes the screen to display 25
      lines instead of 24 lines.

21) About ANSI music

Cedar Island Link now supports ANSI music.  If you are interested
in creating ANSI music, here are a few notes on how to do it.
Basically ANSI music has the same syntax as the BASIC PLAY statement.
If you have created some music in BASIC using the PLAY statement, you
can convert it to ANSI music by placing an ESC [ M in front of the
PLAY string and a chr$(14) after the the PLAY string.

Sample Basic Program to send ANSI music:

100 open "com1:2400,n,8,1" as #1
110 print #1,chr$(27);"[M";        :rem ESC [M
120                                :rem James Bond theme song
130 print #1,"t200o1ab8b8b8L8n0b2an0an0an";
135 print #1,"0a4o2c8c8c8l8n0c2o1bn0bn0bn0";
140 print #1,Chr$(14)              :rem Ending character
150 close


22)  About CompuServ

Registered versions of Cedar Island Link now support CompuServ's B+ protocol.

If you plan to use CompuServ's B+ filetransfer protocol then you must
consider the fact that CompuServ usually has you log on with 7 databits and
even parity.  B+, however, is an 8 bit protocol.  If you try to use B+
without setting up properly, your B+ protocol transfers will fail.
To get the 8 bit B+ protocol to work within a 7 bit session we have to
trick CompuServ a little.

The trick here is to logon to CompuServ with 8 databits and Ignore parity.
That way Compuserv recognizes the data you send it and B+ has an 8 bit
data path.

Take a look at the sample phonelist to see how it is done.

(FYI: Ignore parity is just No parity with high bit stripping.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are sure you will find Cedar Island Link a pleasure to use.
We have come to expect the features found in CILINK in a communications
package and we hope that you will find CILINK as indispensable as we have.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


About the author:

Mike Caughran is an IBM mainframe systems programmer for the State of
Alaska.  He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of
Alaska at Fairbanks.  He has been working with microcomputers since
the last days of CPM.  His hobbies include microcomputers, cross-country
skiing, swimming, and ham radio.  He has a sweetheart of a wife and a boy
that any man would be proud of.



Finally a note from the author:

Thank you for taking the time to look at CILINK.  I have spent many,
many hours developing it.  I am not donating CILINK to the public
domain, nor am I distributing it as Freeware, however, it is my wish that
you use and enjoy CILINK even if you can't register it today.

So, use CILINK and get comfortable with it.  When you do send in the
ShareWare registration of $25.00 you will give me great pleasure and
encourage me to continue to bring products to the ShareWare market.

Live Long and Prosper,   Mike Caughran.    [71034,2371]






Send your comments, suggestions, and $25 registration to:

   Cedar Island Software
   9018 Division St.
   Juneau, Alaska
   99801
   Phone [phone]  before 10 PM Pacific.
   Make checks payable to Mike S. Caughran


To recieve the latest version of CILINK by mail, send an additional $3
to pay for the disk, stamp, and mailer.



You may download the latest version of CILINK or leave us a message on the:

                      Juneau RBBS
               [phone]  2400,8,N,1
               [phone]  9600,8,n,1
                  SYSOP Matt Anderson



               CompuServ ID: [71034,2371]

If you phone or write to us, we can supply you with an instant registration
procedure which makes you a registered user and instantly gets rid of the
shareware notices.