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- 8 - Interactive Mode
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- Interactive Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
- The Interactive Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
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- Conference Mode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
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- TAPCIS(tm) Documentation Copyright (c) 1991, Support Group, Inc.
- 800-USA-GROUP, 301-387-4500
-
- ===========================================================================
- Interactive Mode
- ===========================================================================
-
- Up to this point we have described primarily the autopilot capabilities of
- TAPCIS. This manual started off by telling you that TAPCIS was designed
- primarily for forums and CompuServe Mail. That is true. However, TAPCIS can
- be used to access the other parts of the vast CompuServe Information
- Service, too. This is done in "interactive mode" where you give the
- CompuServe computers commands directly. This is also referred to as
- "terminal mode."
-
- The <I>nteractive command is given from the main menu. If you want to go to
- a specific forum, enter that forum's number at the prompt. Otherwise, press
- <Enter> to connect to CompuServe and be left in your personal file area.
-
- Issue the command GO CIS to get to the top of the CompuServe menu system.
- You can tour CompuServe just by following the menus to areas you find
- interesting. Watch the elapsed time in the upper right corner though!
-
- [Figure 8-1: Sample Interactive Screen]
-
-
-
- ------------------------------------
- The Interactive Keyboard
-
- Most of the keys when interactive are passed directly through to
- CompuServe. Some are interpreted by TAPCIS as commands. A letter preceded
- by a caret <^> means to hold the control key and press the letter:
-
- <Alt-Q> This is perhaps the most reliable way to end an interactive
- session. TAPCIS sends a command to CompuServe to logoff and
- then immediately drops the connection. However, if you are
- in the middle of downloading a file, TAPCIS will wait until
- the download is complete to logoff.
-
- <Alt-H> Aborts whatever you're trying to do and hangs up the phone.
- This is the "bail out" key. You should first try to logoff
- normally or use <Alt-Q>.
-
- <PgDn> If you want to capture what you are doing interactively,
- press <PgDn> and then enter the name of the file in which
- you want the captured session stored. If you want to stop
- the capture at any time press the <PgDn> key again. You can
- use PRN as a file name to echo the screen to your printer.
- However, this slows transmission down and is much less
- economical than capturing the file and printing it offline.
-
- <PgUp> Is used to upload an ASCII file without error checking or to
- start the execution of a script. TAPCIS scripts must end
- with the file extension .SCR.
-
- <Ctrl-X> Enter the CO mode. In this mode you type in a small six line
- window at the bottom of the screen. When you press <Enter>
- twice in a row or you press <Enter> at the end of the sixth
- line, your input is sent to CompuServe all at once. Pressing
-
-
- TAPCIS Interactive Mode 8-1
-
- <Enter> twice in a blank send area (all six lines blank)
- will send a <CR> only.
-
- In a CO this mode is useful so that you can start typing
- your response while the other person is still "talking."
- When the other person is done you can send your text or
- erase it. Remember that in a conference that all CO commands
- start with a slash in the first column. All other lines are
- sent to all people in the conference.
-
- <Alt-L> Scrollback allows you to look at the last 350 lines of text.
- Useful for reviewing information that passes too quickly on
- the screen. A reminder that you are viewing the scrollback
- buffer remains at the top of the screen. You can use the up/
- down arrows and PgUp/PgDn to review the text. Scrollback can
- also be used while CO mode (<Ctrl-X>) is active.
-
- <Alt-B> Sends a <break>.
-
- <Alt-M> Use an online macro.
-
- There are two pre-defined online macros that can come in handy while online
- Interactively. Press <Alt-M><X> at the CompuServe "Top" menu (GO TOP) for
- CompuServe Novice Mode (all menus and prompts active). Press <Alt-M><Y> at
- a "Forum!" prompt for Forum Menu Mode (reactivate forum menus). Both of
- these macros only affect the current online session.
-
- You can also tell TAPCIS that you would like to stay online interactively
- during a normal session generated by pressing <N>ew or <O>nline. After
- TAPCIS logs on you can press <Esc> at any time to stay online. A "Remaining
- online" message will appear on the top line as a reminder. <Esc> is a
- toggle, and if you press it twice, the message will disappear and TAPCIS
- will log off automatically.
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- 8-2 Interactive Mode TAPCIS
-
- ===========================================================================
- Conference Mode Screen
- ===========================================================================
-
- [Figure 8-2: Conference Mode]
-
-
- Figure 8-2 shows several CO commands. The /HELP will give you a full list
- of commands. The /UST command gives you a list of users in the forum and
- the names of the ones in CO. The /HANdle command lets you change your name
- for the CO (you should do this to make your name shorter).
-
- The /EXIT command gets you out of the CO. Notice that the command has not
- been transferred to CompuServe since <Enter> has not been pressed.
-
- A second ^X (<Ctrl-X>) switches back to normal terminal mode.
-
- <Ctrl-Y> erases the current line.
-
- <Ctrl-U> in the above example would erase the /EXIT command even though it
- is on the line above the cursor. (Once the command is sent to CompuServe
- these keys would not have an effect).
-
- Macros can also be used to automate many of the conference functions. See
- Macros on page 9-7.
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- TAPCIS Interactive Mode 8-3
-