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QANALYST
The First Professional Phone Bill
Analyzer for Qmodem
Version 2.0
Barn Owl Software
P.O. Box #74, O'Fallon, IL 62269
voice: (618) 632-7345
BBS: (618) 398-5703
Copyright (c) 1988,89 by Barn Owl Software
┌─────────┐(tm)
┌─────┴───┐ │
──│ │o │──────────────────
│ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of
│ │ ├─┘ Shareware
└───┤ o │ Professionals
──────│ ║ │────────────────────
└────╨────┘ MEMBER
Contents
Legal notices 1
Qanalyst warranty · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 2
Evaluation copies · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 2
Disk vendors · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 2
Colleges & teachers · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3
Registering Qanalyst · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3
Volume discounts · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3
Chapter 1 Getting started 5
1.1 Requirements · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 5
1.2 Setting up Qanalyst · · · · · · · · · · · · · 5
1.3 Setting up Qmodem · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 6
1.3.1 Session logging · · · · · · · · · · · · · 6
1.3.2 Date/time separators · · · · · · · · · · 6
1.4 Floppy drive users · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7
1.5 A word to the wise · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7
1.5.1 DOS 3.20 users · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7
1.6 Compatibility · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 8
1.6.1 Call Data Standard · · · · · · · · · · · 8
1.6.2 With other programs · · · · · · · · · · · 8
1.6.3 Task/Omni/DESQView · · · · · · · · · · · 8
1.6.4 MicroSoft Windows · · · · · · · · · · · · 8
1.6.5 DoubleDOS · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 8
Chapter 2 Using Qanalyst 10
2.1 Command line summary · · · · · · · · · · · · 10
2.2 Program initialization · · · · · · · · · · · 11
Chapter 3 Main menu options 13
3.1 Verification mode · · · · · · · · · · · · · 13
3.2 Edit configuration mode · · · · · · · · · · 14
Chapter 4 Log file maintenance 16
4.1 Condense · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 16
4.2 Remove · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 17
Chapter 5 Qanalyst reports 18
5.1 Sample reports · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 18
Chapter 6 Phone-rate file maintenance 19
6.1 Holiday schedule · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 21
6.2 Local rates · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 22
6.3 Toll rates · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 25
6.4 Long-distance rates · · · · · · · · · · · · 26
6.5 Other rates · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 26
Chapter 7 Utility options 27
7.1 Editing the utility options · · · · · · · · 28
Appendix A Error messages 31
A.1 Regular error messages · · · · · · · · · · · 31
A.2 Fatal error messages · · · · · · · · · · · · 34
A.3 Exit codes · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 35
Appendix B Qanalyst v1.0 users 37
Appendix C Helpful hints 39
C.1 Invoking Qanalyst · · · · · · · · · · · · · 39
C.2 One call? One phone number? · · · · · · · · 39
C.3 Getting rates from Ma Bell · · · · · · · · · 40
C.4 Get the correct time · · · · · · · · · · · · 41
C.5 Shelling to DOS from Qmodem · · · · · · · · 41
C.6 Special calling problems · · · · · · · · · · 42
C.7 Special phone rates · · · · · · · · · · · · 43
Appendix D Troubleshooting 44
D.1 Log file problems · · · · · · · · · · · · · 44
D.2 Qmodem log anomalies · · · · · · · · · · · · 44
D.3 Phone-rate file problems · · · · · · · · · · 45
D.4 Report problems · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 45
D.5 Modem problems · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 46
Appendix E Acknowledgments 48
E.1 Dedication · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 48
E.2 The beta testers · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 48
E.3 Many thanx to · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 48
Index 49
Figures
Figure 3.1: Configuration screen · · · · · · · · · · ·13
Figure 4.1: Sample maintenance messages · · · · · · ·16
Figure 5.1: Analysis status messages · · · · · · · · ·18
Figure 6.1: Phone-rate menu · · · · · · · · · · · · ·19
Figure 6.2: Append-records status messages · · · · · ·20
Figure 6.3: Holiday schedule screen · · · · · · · · ·21
Figure 6.4: Phone record screen · · · · · · · · · · ·23
Figure 7.1: Utility options screen · · · · · · · · · ·27
Figure C.1: Sample QANALYST.SCR SCRipt file
for Qmodem v4.0 · · · · · · · · · · · · ·41
Figure C.2: Sample QANALYST.SCR SCRipt file
for Qmodem v4.1 and later · · · · · · · ·41
Tables
Table 1.1: Mandatory Qanalyst files · · · · · · · · · 5
Table 1.2: Optional Qanalyst files · · · · · · · · · · 5
Table A.1: Qanalyst exit codes · · · · · · · · · · · ·36
Legal notices 1
_________________________________________________________________
Legal notices
QANALYST Version 2.0
Barn Owl Software
P.O. Box #74, O'Fallon, IL 62269
Voice line: (618) 632-7345, regular business hours
Support BBS: (618) 398-5703, three modem lines supporting up to
9600 baud (USR HST) modems
CompuServe: send an EasyPlex message to userID 74017,1344
GEnie: leave notes in QMODEM RoundTable, QANALYST subtopic
Telex: send to 3762848. The first line of your message must read
as "TO:EASYPLEX:74017,1344"
Qanalyst software and documentation copyright (c) 1988,89 by Barn
Owl Software. All rights reserved worldwide.
Barn Owl Software is in no way connected with The Forbin Project,
Inc. except for being legally registered to use Qmodem software.
Some Qanalyst versions may be incompatible with some Qmodem ver-
sions because of this.
Any specific hardware/software names used in this manual are the
(registered) trademarks of specific companies.
┌─────────┐(tm)
┌─────┴───┐ │
──│ │o │──────────────────
│ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of
│ │ ├─┘ Shareware
└───┤ o │ Professionals
──────│ ║ │────────────────────
└────╨────┘ MEMBER
2 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
"This program is produced by a member of the Association
of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make
sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you
are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with
an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may
be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve
a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not
provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue,
WA 98006 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to
ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536"
Qanalyst warranty
Qanalyst software and documentation are provided to users under
the shareware concept, in which users may thoroughly test the
program before paying for it. Because of the diversity of condi-
tions, hardware, and other software under which the program may
be used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose can be
offered.
Barn Owl Software offers a 30-day money back guarantee after
registration. You may return all materials for a full refund, no
questions asked, during this time. All materials must be in good
condition.
Materials supplied by Barn Owl Software are warranted to be free
of defects for thirty (30) days from the date of receipt. Users
may return defective materials during that time for replacement
at no charge. We will reimburse you for the return postage as
well.
Evaluation copies
You may try Qanalyst on a 30-day trial basis to determine if this
program meets your needs. You must then either register the pro-
gram, or quit using it.
You may not modify Qanalyst in any way that changes the program's
computer instructions unless these methods are approved by Barn
Owl Software.
You may give UNMODIFIED copies of Qanalyst to others so they can
evaluate it for their needs, subject to the same restrictions and
conditions above.
Disk vendors
The Association of Shareware Professionals has set up standards
for disk vendors to follow if they wish to obtain "ASP approved"
status. You can learn more by writing directly to the ASP vendor
membership committee, P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006.
Legal notices 3
Barn Owl Software, like many other members of the ASP, lets ASP
approved disk vendors distribute Qanalyst without having to ask
first. We send ASP approved disk vendors a set of master disks
at no charge.
If you are not an ASP approved disk vendor, please send a copy of
your catalog with your request to distribute our product.
Colleges & teachers
Barn Owl Software will be happy to help teachers who offer
courses on Qanalyst. We can supply master disks and/or manuals
as course materials. Please contact us for details. Our address
is on page 1.
Registering Qanalyst
If you want to keep using Qanalyst after your 30-day trial
period, mail a registration form with proper payment. (Qanalyst
will ask you if you want to print one, or you can just press "I"
at the main menu.) Please register your copy of Qmodem before
you register your copy of Qanalyst.
Your Qanalyst registration includes the following:
■ No charge for using an upgrade. Your registration will be
valid for ALL future versions of Qanalyst, period.
■ One year of BBS support at (618) 398-5703, voice support
at (618) 632-7345, and newsletter support.
■ The latest version of Qanalyst is sent on disk.
■ Order disks & manuals anytime at the registered user rate.
■ Help "beta test" future versions of Qanalyst if you wish,
before they are publicly distributed.
Volume discounts
Corporate licenses are available for Qanalyst. If your company
will be using ten or more copies of the program (anywhere in the
world, not just at a specific site), you should consider pur-
chasing a corporate license. There are no limits on how many
copies of Qanalyst your company can use when you possess a cor-
porate license. Contact Barn Owl Software for details. Our
address & phone numbers are on page 1.
The cost of any previous licenses can be applied toward your cor-
porate license. You can trade in old licenses much like a used
car. (You get full value for your trade-in, too.) Please
contact Barn Owl Software for details.
4 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
The following discounts apply for manuals. This is a per order
discount, not an accumulative order discount.
1 - 4 manuals···························· 0% discount
5 - 9 manuals····························10% discount
10 - 19 manuals····························20% discount
20 - 49 manuals····························30% discount
50 - 99 manuals····························40% discount
100 or more·································50% discount
Barn Owl Software accepts purchase orders, but only for amounts
of $100 or more.
Getting started 5
____________________________Chapter 1____________________________
Getting started
1.1 Requirements
Qanalyst will run on an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible
computer. You must use DOS 2.0 or better and have at least 155k
of free memory.
The following tables describe the necessary and the optional
files which make up Qanalyst:
Table 1.1: Mandatory Qanalyst files
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
QANALYST.EXE The actual program
QANALYST.OVR The program's "overlay" file
SESSION.LOG A Qmodem v4.x log file, but it can be any filename
you choose
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Table 1.2: Optional Qanalyst files
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
QANALYST.CFG Qanalyst configuration file, but it can be any
filename you choose
QANALYST.PRF CDS standard phone-rate file, but it can be any
filename you choose
QMODEM.CNF Qmodem v4.x configuration file
QANALYST.DOC Contains this documentation
READ.ME! Contains late-breaking Qanalyst notes
SAMPLE.BAT Runs a sample Qanalyst session
SAMPLE.* The various sample files used by SAMPLE.BAT
VENDOR.DOC A documentation file specifically for disk vendors
DISCOUNT.DOC A documentation file specifically for people who
need corporate licenses or volume discounts
WHATSNEW.DOC A documentation file telling what's new in Qanalyst
LOWERIBM.EXE Changes IBM graphic characters in the QANALYST.DOC
file so some Epson printer owners can print out the
Qanalyst documentation
LOWERIBM.DOC Contains the documentation for LOWERIBM.EXE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.2 Setting up Qanalyst
Qanalyst is pretty easy to install. Just copy all the files into
your Qmodem directory, or create a new directory to hold the
Qanalyst files. Data files can be placed in other directories if
you wish. You're good to go if you know where the support files
will be stored.
6 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
You should check the utility options to make sure everything is
set up the way you like. See chapter 7 for details.
You can always get an accurate analysis of your modem usage, but
you'll need to create phone-rate files if you want to study your
modem expenditures. This is covered in a later section.
There are a number of SAMPLE files included in the Qanalyst
application. Feel free to play around! You can get a feeling of
how Qanalyst works by entering "SAMPLE" at the DOS prompt.
1.3 Setting up Qmodem
Qanalyst v2.0 is compatible ONLY with logs created by Qmodem ver-
sions 4.x. It will not work properly with any logs produced by
earlier versions and it may not work properly with logs created
by later versions. Caution: if you're upgrading from Qmodem
v3.x, start new log files! Don't keep appending to older-version
logs, it'll just confuse Qanalyst.
The Qmodem v4.x log file format has three major problems that
affect Qanalyst. Please read appendix section D.2 for details.
You should take special note if you use Qmodem's ALT-D manual
dialing, external protocols, or the Host Mode security callback
feature.
1.3.1 Session logging
Qanalyst can only tell you about calls listed in your log file.
You can save yourself from a lot of hassle by configuring Qmodem
so it begins using the log file right when it starts up. Every
call you make will then be recorded in your log. Use the Qmodem
ALT-N/O/T/U command to set the "aUto start Log" option. Consult
your Qmodem manual if you are unfamiliar with this.
WARNING! Be careful when running Qanalyst from Qmodem's DOS
shell under version 4.0! (Consult your Qmodem manual if you are
unfamiliar with this.) Unpredictable things may happen if both
programs try to use the same log file at the same time. Consult
appendix section C.5 for details. This problem was corrected
with the release of Qmodem v4.1.
1.3.2 Date/time separators
Qmodem v4.x lets you alter the date/time string format. You can
decide if dates will be written as "xx-xx-xx" or "xx/xx/xx", or
even "xx█xx█xx". It's up to you. See chapter 7 if you use a
date separator other than "/" or "-", or a time separator other
than ":".
Chapter 1, "Getting started" 7
1.4 Floppy drive users
Qanalyst will work with a floppy drive system. The analysis
requires only one sweep of the log file(s) and all data is stored
in memory, so you won't be slowed too much by floppy drive access
times. You may find it difficult to perform maintenance, though.
Qanalyst will terminate with an error message if it runs out of
room on the disk. (The program will warn you if it thinks there
may not be enough room for it to do its job.)
Be aware that Qmodem will turn off the log if it runs out of disk
space. You may lose some important log entries and the log may
become corrupted if this happens. Make sure you have enough disk
space so the log file can grow while you're using Qmodem.
1.5 A word to the wise
chronology (kra näl'a jee) n., ... 2. the arrangement
of events, dates, etc. in the order of occurrence 3. a
list or table of dates in their proper sequence ...
nd
─── New World Dictionary, 2 ed.
Your log file must (repeat must) be correct if you expect
Qanalyst to work right. This means you have to set the DOS date
and time whenever you boot up. If you don't do this, your log
file will show you made some calls on 1-1-80 just after midnight.
That's not right!
Please, don't change the DOS date or time while Qmodem is
running. It will be reflected in your log file and that may mean
trouble when it's Qanalyst's turn to use it.
Qanalyst can check log files to make sure they were written in
chronological order, if you want it to do so. See chapter 7.
1.5.1 DOS 3.20 users
Some people who use DOS 3.20 may already know about a weird bug
which doesn't change the DOS date when the clock strikes mid-
night. Qanalyst will attempt to handle phone calls that continue
past midnight if DOS 3.20 corrupted the log file, but the program
may still terminate with an error message or produce an inaccu-
rate report.
We say "some" people may have this bug. DOS 3.21 corrected the
problem but, for whatever reason, some DOSs tell applications
they are operating under DOS 3.20.
8 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
1.6 Compatibility
1.6.1 Call Data Standard
Qanalyst is compatible with "CDS", the Call Data Standard, in
that it reads & writes CDS phone-rate data files. However, it
does not recognize CDS call history logs, nor does it work with
CDS single-call files.
Forbin Project, Inc. has committed to switch to the powerful CDS
standard for Qmodem v5.0. We will then be able to provide com-
plete CDS support.
1.6.2 With other programs
At this time, we know of no other program specially designed to
modify Qmodem v4.x log files. However, we recommend that you
refrain from using them. Qanalyst makes a few assumptions about
Qmodem log files that other programs may ignore or approach from
a different angle.
1.6.3 Task/Omni/DESQView
Qanalyst is fully compatible with TaskView, OmniView, and
DESQView. It will automatically adjust itself to work in any of
these environments. Load Qanalyst like any program that writes
screen data via the BIOS. (Consult your multitasking manual if
you are unfamiliar with this.) Qanalyst needs at least 155k of
memory to run. You should give it up to 640k if you can spare it
because Qanalyst needs to "grow" in memory while it is working.
1.6.4 MicroSoft Windows
When creating your .PIF file, specify that Qanalyst directly
modifies the screen. Set the "KB required" value to 155k and set
the "KB desired" value to 640k. (Consult your Windows manual if
you are unfamiliar with this.)
You can, however, declare that Qanalyst writes information to the
screen via the BIOS as long as you invoke the program with the /B
command-line option (see page 10). This special case lets you
run Qanalyst as a "background" task while you're working on other
projects in the foreground.
1.6.5 DoubleDOS
Qanalyst is NOT fully compatible with DoubleDOS. If you try to
run Qanalyst as the background task, you'll get intense screen
bleed-thru. (Consult your DoubleDOS manual if you are unfamiliar
with this.) You should run Qanalyst as the foreground task.
Chapter 1, "Getting started" 9
You can, however, run Qanalyst in the background partition if you
use the /B command-line option (see page 10). Qanalyst writes
information to the screen via the BIOS in this instance, letting
you work on another project in the foreground.
10 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
____________________________Chapter 2____________________________
Using Qanalyst
2.1 Command line summary
QANALYST [cfg-file] [options...]
Qanalyst begins when you enter "QANALYST" at the DOS prompt.
There are also quite a few options you can use to alter the way
the program runs, but don't worry. Some options are for advanced
concepts, and some may not even apply to you.
cfg-file Qanalyst configuration filename. Qanalyst looks for
QANALYST.CFG, but this option lets you specify another
name. You can also specify a path if you wish.
/8 Toggle 8x8 font. This option toggles the EGA/VGA "8x8"
font to provide more than 25 lines on a screen. It only
works if an EGA or VGA monitor is present.
/B Batch file execution. Qanalyst asks you to confirm the
current configuration before doing anything else. This
option orders the program to use a configuration file
as-is. Note: This options requires a cfg-file name, or
QANALYST.CFG must be available where Qanalyst can find
it (see page 11).
/BL Last call analysis. Reports cover only the last call
you made, even if the call is still in progress. This
option implies batch file execution. See appendix
section C.2 for further details.
/BS[ph#] Single-number analysis. Reports cover only a specific
telephone number you declare. This option implies batch
file execution. See appendix section C.2 for further
details.
/E Ignore EMS. Qanalyst will use expanded (LIM EMS) memory
if there is enough available to store a copy of its
overlay file. This command tells Qanalyst to ignore EMS
memory.
/F[date][:nnn]
Default "From" date. Qanalyst normally uses the first
date in each log file as the default "From:" date for
analysis and maintenance. This option lets you specify
a different date. It's extremely useful with the /B
command-line option because it lets you do batch-mode
work on specific dates in a log file. The syntax is
"/Fxx-xx-xx". If you don't specify a date, Qanalyst
will use today's date. ...You can also specify a
variable /T value from the /F parameter by including a
Chapter 2, "Using Qanalyst" 11
":nnn" at the end. This tells Qanalyst you want to set
the default "To:" date to be nnn days forward of the
"From:" date. (See the /B option if you just want a
report on the last call you made.)
/I Ignore Qanalyst configuration files. Qanalyst is geared
to hunt for its configuration file. This option tells
the program to use its internal defaults. Note: The /B
and /I options are mutually exclusive.
/N Noiseless operation. This option toggles the program
into total silence at startup.
/T[date][:nnn]
Default "To" date. Qanalyst normally uses the last date
in each log file as the default "To:" date for analysis
& maintenance. This option lets you specify a different
date. It's extremely useful with the /B command-line
option because it lets you do batch-mode work on
specific dates in a log file. The syntax is
"/Txx-xx-xx". ...You can also specify a variable /F
value from the /T parameter by including a ":nnn" at the
end. This tells Qanalyst you want to set the default
"From:" date to be nnn days back from the "To:" date.
(See the /B option if you just want a report on the last
call you made.)
Syntax: You must put a space between each option. Qanalyst
accepts parameters in any order. And, you may use "-x" instead
of "/x" if you wish.
See appendix C for visual aids on starting Qanalyst at the DOS
prompt.
2.2 Program initialization
When Qanalyst starts up, it displays an opening "shareware"
screen which contains the program's copyright notice. Qanalyst
will wait for you to read it and then "PLEASE WAIT" will appear.
The program is now initializing itself.
Qanalyst searches for the configuration file QANALYST.CFG if you
didn't specify one at start-up. It searches:
1. The default directory;
2. The directory where the Qanalyst program is kept;
3. The directories listed on the DOS PATH (consult your DOS
manual if you are unfamiliar with this); and,
4. The directory designated by the QMODEM= environment
variable (consult your Qmodem manual if you are unfamiliar
with this).
12 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Qanalyst searches for QMODEM.CNF, the Qmodem configuration file,
like it searches for the Qanalyst configuration file. If found,
Qanalyst will use Qmodem's screen colors to make you feel a bit
more "at home" with the program.
Qanalyst uses the log and phone-rate files described in the con-
figuration file. If it finds no such file, it will search the
default directory for a phone-rate data file called QANALYST.PRF
and a Qmodem log file called SESSION.LOG (or whatever you called
it in the QMODEM.CNF file).
Chapter 3, "Main menu options" 13
____________________________Chapter 3____________________________
Main menu options
3.1 Verification mode
The configuration screen will eventually appear:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Log file #1
Qmodem Log file: C:\QMODEM\SESSION.LOG
Qanalyst config: C:\QMODEM\QANALYST.CFG
Phone-rate data: C:\QMODEM\QANALYST.PRF
Analyze this log file: No YES ╒══ Main menu commands ═══╕
Starting date: 03/22/88 │ BEGIN WORKING │
Ending date: 04/21/88 │ Next log info │
│ Previous log info │
Maintain phone log file: No CONDENSE Remove │ First log info │
Starting date: 03/22/88 │ Add new log info │
Ending date: 04/21/88 │ Drop this log │
│ Edit this log info │
│ Save configuration │
│ Utility options │
Phone bill rpt: None SUMMARY Detailed │ edit phone-Rate data │
U/D stats rpt: NONE Summary Detailed │ prInt registration form │
Report title: │ Toggle bells & whistles │
Send report to: PRINTER File Screen │ eXit to DOS │
╘═════════════════════════╛
Begin! Analyze/maintain log file(s) as directed
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 3.1: Configuration screen
The options shown above may not be the same as the ones you see
on your screen. Qanalyst modifies the screen to show options
that are currently active. If an option is capitalized and high-
lighted, it means it is the selected option.
Use the cursor keys to select a command (press ENTER when ready),
or press any capitalized & highlighted letter. Both will make
Qanalyst perform the selected menu function:
BEGIN WORKING. Qanalyst will proceed with the current
configuration.
Next log info. Displays the configuration for the next log.
The top line of the screen shows which of the log files is
displayed.
Previous log info. This is like the "Next" command, but it
moves you backward through the log configurations.
First log info. Displays the configuration for the first log.
14 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Add new log info. Lets you add another log to the configura-
tion. You can specify up to 20 log files.
Drop this log. Removes the current log from the
configuration.
Edit this configuration. Lets you change details about what
Qanalyst should do with the current log. See section 3.2.
Save configuration. Saves all configuration data (including
the utility-option data explained below) to a file. If no
filename was specified, QANALYST.CFG will be created in the
default directory.
edit phone-Rate data. Lets you view, edit, & save phone-rate
data which is used when analyzing a log file. See chapter 6
for detailed information.
Utility options. Lets you view & edit some advanced options
available in Qanalyst. These options are saved with the log
configuration data. See chapter 7.
prInt registration form. Sends a Qanalyst registration form
to the printer.
Toggle bells & whistles. Turns beeps ON and OFF.
eXit to DOS. Stop the program. You can also press ALT-X like
in Qmodem, or plain old CTRL-C.
3.2 Edit configuration mode
If you edit the current log's configuration, you can change the
settings that tell Qanalyst what to do with it. Options will
become capitalized and highlighted, meaning you can modify them.
The following lists each option available on the configuration
screen and the possible settings:
Qmodem Log file: the name of a Qmodem v4.x log file.
Qanalyst config: the name of a Qanalyst configuration file.
Phone-rate data: the name of a Qanalyst phone-rate data file.
Analyze log file: tells Qanalyst whether to include the log
file in a report.
Starting date: and Ending date: come up if you request an
analysis. They show the inclusive dates of log entries to
be studied for the report. Note: these dates are not saved
as part of the configuration file. If you want to work
with specific dates, you have to declare the starting/
Chapter 3, "Main menu options" 15
ending dates each time you use Qanalyst. (See the /F & /T
options in section 2.1 for more details.)
Maintain Qmodem Log file: is set to the type of maintenance to
be performed on the log. See chapter 4.
Starting date: and Ending date: come up if you request log
maintenance. They show the inclusive dates of log entries
to be condensed or removed. Note: these dates are not
saved with the configuration file. If you want to work
with specific dates, you have to declare the starting/
ending dates each time you use Qanalyst. (See the /F & /T
options in section 2.1 for more details.)
Phone bill rpt: comes up only if a log file will be analyzed.
Choose the type of phone bill analysis report you desire. See
chapter 5.
U/D stats rpt: comes up only when a log file will be analyzed.
Choose the type of upload/download analysis report you desire.
See chapter 5.
Report title: comes up only if a log file will be analyzed.
This text will be printed at the top of every page of a
report.
Send report to: comes up when you request a report. Set it
to where you want the report to go.
Output file: comes up when the report will go to a file.
Enter the name of a file to hold the report.
File exists: comes up when the report will go to a file.
Set this to Append to attach the report to the end of
the file, or set it to Overwrite to erase the old infor-
mation in the file.
Press ESC when you're satisfied. This takes you back to the
verification mode. Qanalyst will go to work when you tell it to
BEGIN WORKING.
16 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
____________________________Chapter 4____________________________
Log file maintenance
Qanalyst will maintain your log file by condensing or removing
information from it (if you choose). This is useful if you want
to remove entries that have shown up on a phone bill, or if you
just want to keep a small log file.
Qanalyst looks at every log entry to see what must be kept or
deleted. Retained entries are sent to a temporary file. When
finished, it gives the original file a ".BAL" extension and
renames the temporary file so it is the new log file. An older
backup file will be deleted if found, even if it is set to read-
only status.
Note: Qanalyst accounts for the fact that a call might continue
past midnight. When condensing or deleting log entries, it
treats all entries for a call as if the entire call took place on
the day it started. (DOS 3.20 users should consult section 1.5
for more information.)
Qanalyst displays various status messages (shown below) when it
maintains a log file. You can always stop the program and return
to DOS by pressing ALT-X or CTRL-C.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Using C:\QMODEM\SESSION.LOG
Selected Qmodem log call entries will be condensed.
Writing new log to temporary file. Please be patient.
There may not be enough free space on the disk.
Deleting backup log file.
Renaming old log file to SESSION.BAL
Renaming temp log file to SESSION.LOG
Condensing resulted in a 71% smaller log file.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 4.1: Sample maintenance messages
4.1 Condense
Qanalyst removes unneeded log entries that fall within the
specified "To/From" dates. A log entry is kept only if:
1. It is vital to Qanalyst; or,
2. It is a STAMP log entry; or,
3. It doesn't look like Qmodem created it.
If you choose to condense a log that will also be analyzed,
Qanalyst will determine if it can safely condense the log first.
This is why you may sometimes see Qanalyst analyzing files before
condensing them.
Chapter 4, "Log file maintenance" 17
4.2 Remove
Qanalyst removes all log entries that fall within the specified
"To/From" dates. It still keeps anything that doesn't look like
Qmodem created it.
If you specified the log file for an analysis as well, then the
analysis will always occur first. It is otherwise possible to
remove some calls before they're analyzed.
18 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
____________________________Chapter 5____________________________
Qanalyst reports
Qanalyst produces summary and/or detailed analysis reports of the
log file(s) if you so choose. There are a total of four
different analysis reports you can generate. You can also print
a phone-rate data report if you wish (see page 20 for details on
that type of report).
Qanalyst must first analyze the log(s) in order to create a
report of any kind. It displays various status messages while it
does the analysis:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Using C:\QMODEM\SESSION.LOG
Searching for the first selected log entry.
Now analyzing the selected log entries.
Remember, condensed log files operate faster.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 5.1: Analysis status messages
The report(s) you specified will be created when analysis is
complete. You can stop the program and return to DOS at any time
by pressing ALT-X or CTRL-C.
5.1 Sample reports
We've included some files that will generate sample reports so
you can see Qanalyst in action. Feel free to print them out or
view them on the screen. Make sure the SAMPLE.* files are in the
current directory and type "SAMPLE" at the DOS prompt.
Chapter 6, "Phone-rate file maintenance" 19
____________________________Chapter 6____________________________
Phone-rate file maintenance
The "edit phone-Rate data" command on the main menu lets you
view, edit, and save phone-rate data. Qanalyst uses this infor-
mation when it analyzes the log file(s). The program will work
without phone-rate data, but it won't be able to calculate the
cost of each phone call.
Note to previous Qanalyst v1.0 users: There has been a major
addition to the phone-rate data. Host BBS usage costs can now be
specified separately from the actual cost of the phone call. But
don't worry, Qanalyst will still read your old phone-rate files.
See appendix B for details.
Setting up a phone-rate data file isn't hard if you keep one
thing in mind. Keep phone-rate data only for numbers that are an
EXCEPTION to the defaults. See appendix section D.3 for more
details about phone-rate files.
The phone-rate menu will appear if you choose to view or edit the
phone-rate data:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Log file #1
Qmodem Log file: C:\QMODEM\SESSION.LOG
Qanalyst config: C:\QMODEM\QANALYST.CFG
Phone-rate data: C:\QMODEM\QANALYST.PRF
Analyze this log file: No YES
Starting date: ╒════ Phone-rate menu ═════╕
Ending date: │ Return to higher menu │
│ Append from these logs │
Maintain this log file: │ Condense phone-rata data │
Starting date: │ Save phone-rate data │
Ending date: │ Print phone-rate data │
│ edit Holiday schedule │
Phone bill rpt: None SU│ edit Local phone rates │
U/D stats rpt: NONE Su│ Edit toll phone rates │
Report title: │ edit long-Distance rates │
Send report to: PRINTER │ edit "Odd" number rates │
│ Toggle bells & whistles │
│ eXit to DOS │
╘══════════════════════════╛
Return to the next higher menu level
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 6.1: Phone-rate menu
The phone-rate menu shows the current selection in reverse video.
Use the cursor keys to select a different command (press ENTER
when ready), or press a capitalized and highlighted letter. Both
make Qanalyst perform the selected menu function:
20 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Return to higher menu. The phone-rate menu will disappear and
the main menu will reappear. Qanalyst will check the phone-
rate data before exiting and, if it finds redundant records,
it will ask you if you want to remove them. (See below for
details about "condensing" the phone-rate data.)
Append from these logs. Qanalyst will study each log, looking
for numbers not already stored as phone-rate data. New phone
numbers will be added when they are found. Prefix and area-
code default records will be created for each phone number if
they don't already exist. ("Default" phone-rate records are
discussed below.) Caution: See appendix section D.3 before
you use this command.
A window will open up on the screen for the status messages.
Qanalyst displays a "." (number is known) or "!" (new number
for the phone-rate data) each time it comes across a phone
number in the log file(s).
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Using C:\QMODEM\SESSION.LOG
Remember, condensed log files operate faster.
!....!!.!!!!!....!....!...!.!.!!.............!................
.!.............!.......................
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 6.2: Append-records status messages
Condense phone-rate data. This is pretty much the opposite of
the "Append from logs" command. Qanalyst studies the phone-
rate data for any redundant records and deletes them. This is
very handy after you make changes to records brought in by the
"Append from logs" command, since it removes redundant phone-
rate records.
Save phone-rate data. This command saves the current phone-
rate data to a file. QANALYST.PRF is created in the default
directory if no filename was specified. If Qanalyst finds any
redundant phone-rate records, it will ask if you want them
removed before saving them to a file. (See above for details
about "condensing" the phone-rate data.)
Print phone-rate data. Sends a special phone-rate data report
to the printer.
edit Holiday schedule. Lets you enter specific dates Qanalyst
will view as a holiday (instead of a regular day of the week).
See section 6.1.
edit Local phone rates. Lets you view and edit the phone-rate
information for local numbers. See section 6.2.
Edit toll phone rates. Lets you view and edit the phone-rate
information for toll numbers. See section 6.3.
Chapter 6, "Phone-rate file maintenance" 21
edit long-Distance rates. Lets you view & edit the phone-rate
information for long-distance numbers. See section 6.4.
edit "Odd" number rates. Lets you view & edit the phone-rate
information for phone numbers that do not fall under the other
three categories. An overseas phone number is a good example.
See section 6.5.
Toggle bells & whistles. Turns beeps ON and OFF.
eXit to DOS. Stop the program. You can also press ALT-X like
in Qmodem, or plain old CTRL-C.
6.1 Holiday schedule
The "edit Holiday schedule" command on the phone-rate menu lets
you view and edit information about upcoming holidays. When
Qanalyst is calculating the cost of a call, it checks the holiday
schedule to see if any portion of the call fell on a holiday.
The following screen will appear if you choose to view/edit the
holiday schedule:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
No holidays listed in the schedule.
╒═══ Holiday commands ════╕
│ Return to higher menu │
│ Add a holiday │
│ Delete a holiday │
│ Kill all old holidays │
│ Toggle bells & whistles │
│ eXit to DOS │
╘═════════════════════════╛
Return to the next higher menu level
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 6.3: Holiday schedule screen
The holiday menu shows the current menu selection in reverse
video. Use the cursor keys to select a different command (press
ENTER when ready), or press a capitalized and highlighted letter.
Both make Qanalyst perform the selected menu function:
Return to higher menu. The holiday menu will disappear and
the phone-rate menu will reappear.
Add a holiday. Lets you add a date to the holiday schedule.
Up to 24 holidays can be entered.
Delete a holiday. Removes a date from the holiday schedule.
22 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Kill all old holidays. Lets you delete all the old holidays
with a single keystroke.
Toggle bells & whistles. Turns beeps ON and OFF.
eXit to DOS. Stop the program. You can also press ALT-X like
in Qmodem, or plain old CTRL-C.
6.2 Local rates
The "edit Local phone rates" command on the phone-rate menu lets
you view/edit information about local phone rates. First, let's
cover some important concepts about phone-rate data.
Local numbers
are composed of seven digits. Dashes, spaces, and
commas are ignored.
New phone record
is created for the phone-rate data when Qanalyst
discovers a phone number it doesn't already know
about. The program creates new phone records while
it analyzes the log files. You can enter phone num-
bers into the phone-rate data that can be saved to a
file so a number is "known" when Qanalyst studies the
log files. Caution: see appendix section D.3 before
saving any phone-rate data.
Root default record
contains default data covering any phone number which
is NOT already defined in the phone-rate data. Root
default records always exist, they never have to be
created. Qanalyst uses the phone-rate data in the
root default record to initialize new records, with
some exceptions...
Area-code default record
contains data covering any specific area code. These
are made up of a "1" followed by an area code and
seven zeros. (Spaces and dashes can be used, so
"1 618 000-0000" is acceptable.) If an area-code
default record exists, Qanalyst uses its data instead
of the root default data when initializing records
for new phone numbers with that area code.
Prefix default record
contains default data covering any specific telephone
prefix. These are made of the first three numbers of
a seven-digit phone number, followed by four zeros.
If "398-0000" or "1-618-398-0000" is included in the
phone-rate data, Qanalyst will use it to initialize a
record for a phone number in the 398 prefix.
Chapter 6, "Phone-rate file maintenance" 23
A window will open up on the screen where local phone-rate data
will be displayed:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DAYTIME PHONE CO. cost info for LOCAL phone records
Phone number: ROOT DEFAULT RECORD
╒═══ Phone record menu ════╕
Phone Co. charges by the: MINUTE Hour │ Return to higher menu │
First minute: $0.00 │ view phOne co. cost data │
Subsequent minute: $0.00 │ view Host BBS cost data │
Daytime rates start at: 08:00:00 (24hr clock) │ view Daytime rates │
│ view eVening rates │
│ view nIghttime rates │
DAYTIME PHONE CO. master override-rate schedule: │ Next phone record │
Sunday rate: Daytime Evening NIGHTTIME │ Prev phone record │
Monday rate: DAYTIME Evening Nighttime │ First phone record │
Tuesday rate: DAYTIME Evening Nighttime │ Specific phone record │
Wednesday rate: DAYTIME Evening Nighttime │ Edit this phone record │
Thursday rate: DAYTIME Evening Nighttime │ Add new phone record │
Friday rate: DAYTIME Evening Nighttime │ Kill this phone record │
Saturday rate: Daytime Evening NIGHTTIME │ Toggle bells & whistles │
Holiday rate: Daytime EVENING Nighttime │ eXit to DOS │
╘══════════════════════════╛
Return to the next higher menu level
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 6.4: Phone record screen
The first two lines show in a glance what phone number data is
being displayed, what section of rate data is being displayed
(phone company rates or host BBS rates), what portion of the data
is displayed (daytime/evening/nighttime), and what category the
number falls under (local/toll/long-distance/"odd").
The above screen shows the data connected with daytime local
phone company rates. You can work with the data for evening or
nighttime rates by choosing the appropriate menu command, or you
can switch over to the host BBS daytime/evening/nighttime rates
by choosing the appropriate menu commands.
Be careful when you modify phone-rate data! Make sure you modify
only the data you want to modify. If you make an error in your
data entry, say you enter host BBS rates in a phone company
portion of the record, then future reports could be thrown off.
(See page 20 for information about printing out the phone-rate
data. See Appendix C about problems that can mess up a report.)
The phone record menu shows the current menu selection in reverse
video. Use the cursor keys to select a different command (press
ENTER when ready), or press a capitalized and highlighted letter.
Both make Qanalyst perform the selected function:
Return to higher menu. The phone record menu will disappear
and the phone-rate menu will reappear.
24 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
view phOne co. cost data. Switches the data on the screen so
phone company rates can be viewed & edited.
view Host BBS cost data. Switches the data on the screen so
host BBS rates can be viewed & edited. This data is usually
only needed by people who use CompuServe, GEnie, or other "pay
as you use them" networks.
view Daytime rates. Switches the screen so daytime phone-
rate data can be viewed & edited. (Phone company daytime
rates are separate from host BBS daytime rates.)
view eVening rates. Switches the screen so evening phone-
rate data can be viewed & edited. (Phone company evening
rates are separate from host BBS evening rates.)
view nIghttime rates. Switches the screen so nightly
phone-rate data can be viewed & edited. (Phone company
nighttime rates are separate from host BBS nighttime
rates.)
Next phone record. Displays the next phone record.
Prev phone record. Displays the previous phone record.
First phone record. Displays the root default record for the
local (or toll or long-distance or "odd") phone numbers.
Specific phone record. Displays data for the specific phone
number entered by the user. It's a quick way to view informa-
tion for a given record. A message appears if the number
isn't stored in the phone-rate data. If you specify a phone
record in a different category (local/toll/long-distance/odd),
Qanalyst will shift over to that category.
Edit this phone record. Lets you change the displayed cost
data for the current phone record. If daytime phone company
cost data is on the screen, then only daytime phone company
data can be altered at this time. This also goes for evening
& nighttime data, and host BBS cost data, when they appear on
the screen. (Remember, each phone record has six different
data entry screens!) The following lists each alterable item
on the phone record screen and its possible settings:
Calls are charged by the: will be set either to Minute or
Hour, depending if the costs are considered as hourly or
minute-by-minute rates.
First minute: or First hour: will appear depending how you
set the charge rate above. Enter a number in the format
"x.xx". If you pay eight cents per minute for the first
minute, enter "0.08". If you pay $7.55 per hour for the
first hour, enter "7.55". Note: make sure you enter the
correct value! Don't enter a minute cost when the charge
Chapter 6, "Phone-rate file maintenance" 25
rate above it says it's an hourly rate. Reports will be
WAY OFF the dollar mark if you mess this up.
Subsequent minute: or Subsequent hour: appears depending on
how you set the charge rate above. The value you enter
here will be the cost for subsequent minutes or hours spent
on a call. Enter the data just like you did for the first
minute or hour costs.
Uploads are free: comes up only if a charge shows up in the
host BBS cost data for that record. This tells Qanalyst if
it should suspend host BBS charges during an upload (except
for an ASCII upload).
Daytime rates start at: (or evening/nighttime rates) shows
the time at which these charges go into effect. Enter the
starting time in 24-hour (military) format: 1:00pm = 13:00,
2:00pm = 14:00, and so on. (Hint: "13:00" can be shortened
to "13".)
DAYTIME master override-rate schedule: (evening & nighttime
schedule) determines the rate at which a call is calculated
depending on the day of the week the call is made. In most
cases, a daytime call made on a weekday will be charged at
daytime phone company and daytime host BBS rates. But on
weekends and holidays, daytime calls are usually billed at
the evening or nighttime rate. Set each day of the week
(including "holiday") to the rate which is really in effect
at that time.
Add new phone record. Lets you enter a new phone number into
the phone-rate data.
Kill this phone record. Lets you delete the displayed record
from the phone-rate data.
Toggle bells & whistles. Turns beeps ON and OFF.
eXit to DOS. Stop the program. You can also press ALT-X like
in Qmodem, or plain old CTRL-C.
6.3 Toll rates
Toll rate information is entered like the local rate information.
(See section 6.2.) Toll numbers start with a "1" or a prefix
code and have seven digits after it.
Note to Qanalyst v1.0 users: Qanalyst now handles the ALT-D
prefix code capability in Qmodem v4.x. See appendix B for more
information.
26 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
6.4 Long-distance rates
Long-distance rate information is entered like local rate infor-
mation. (See section 6.2.) Default area-code records can be
created for long-distance numbers. Long-distance numbers start
with a "1" or a prefix code and have ten digits after it.
Note to Qanalyst v1.0 users: Qanalyst now handles the ALT-D
prefix code capability in Qmodem v4.x. See appendix B for more
information.
6.5 Other rates
"Odd" phone numbers do not fall under the other three categories.
Office intercom systems and overseas phone numbers are good
examples. "Odd" phone numbers are entered similar to long-
distance phone numbers. (See section 6.4.)
Credit card calls ── calls which start with a "0" instead of a
"1" ── are considered "odd". This lets two sets of records be
defined for the same phone number since costs are different for a
credit card call. Users can also create default prefix and area
code records which would apply in these cases.
Note to Qanalyst v1.0 users: Qanalyst now handles the ALT-D
prefix code capability in Qmodem v4.x. See appendix B for more
information.
Chapter 7, "Utility options" 27
____________________________Chapter 7____________________________
Utility options
The "Utility options" command on the main menu lets you view and
edit some of the more advanced options available in Qanalyst.
The following screen will appear if you choose to view/edit the
utility options:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
╒══════════════════════════════ Utility options ═══════════════════════════════╕
│╒═════════════ Reports ══════════════╕ ╒═════════════ Program ══════════════╕│
││ Number of copies: 1 │ │ Currency symbol: $ ││
││ Left indent (chars): 1 │ │ Status msg delay (sec): 15 ││
││ Hdr/ftr margin (lines): 3 │ │ Return from analysis: No YES ││
││ Lines per page: 66 │ │ Round calls to next min: No YES ││
││ Printer device name: PRN: │ │ Auto-save for PRF data: NO Yes ││
││ Sort by BBS identity: No YES │ │ Use EGA/VGA 8x8 font: NO Yes ││
││ Always print a summary: No YES │ │ Use growing windows: NO Yes ││
││ Single-sheet paper: NO Yes │ ╘════════════════════════════════════╛│
││ Eject using formfeed: No YES │ │
│╘════════════════════════════════════╛ │
│ ╒═ Utility options menu ══╕│
│╒════════════ Log files ═════════════╕ │ Return to higher menu ││
││ Date separator: / │ │ Edit these options ││
││ Time separator: : │ │ Printer-specific items ││
││ Full chrono log check: NO Yes │ │ Save configuration ││
││ Remove U/D entries: No YES │ │ Toggle bells & whistles ││
│╘════════════════════════════════════╛ │ eXit to DOS ││
│ ╘═════════════════════════╛│
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Return to the next higher menu level
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure 7.1: Utility options screen
The Utility options menu shows the current menu selection in
reverse video. Use the cursor keys to select a different command
(press ENTER when ready), or press a capitalized and highlighted
letter. Both make Qanalyst perform the selected function:
Return to higher menu. The phone record menu will disappear
and the phone-rate menu will reappear.
Edit these options. Lets you change the settings of utility
options (see below).
Printer-specific items. Lets you view and change the settings
of items that are specific to a particular printer. Qanalyst
can even be quick-configured for some popular printers. Press
ESC to return to the next higher menu.
28 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Choose a printer. Lets you quickly configure Qanalyst for
some of the many popular printers on the market. Check
your printer manual to see if your printer "thinks" like
one of the printers listed on the screen. Press ESC to
return to the next higher menu.
Change the printer name. Lets you enter a new name for the
printer. This is for your information only.
Printer init string. This is the first thing sent to the
printer when a report is printed. One special key, the
CTRL-P key, lets you put control codes in the string. If
you wanted to insert a formfeed for example, press CTRL-P
and then press CTRL-L. (An "L" will appear in a different
color from the regular text.)
prInter exit string. This is the last thing sent to the
printer when a report is printed. See above.
Begin boldface command. This is the command you'd send in
order to turn ON the boldface printing capability of your
printer.
End boldface command. This is the command you'd send in
order to turn OFF the boldface printing capability of your
printer.
Save configuration. Saves all configuration data, including
the utility-option data, in a file. This command is identical
to the one on the main menu. QANALYST.CFG will be created in
the default directory if no filename was specified.
Toggle bells & whistles. Turns beeps ON and OFF.
eXit to DOS. Stop the program. You can also press ALT-X like
in Qmodem, or plain old CTRL-C.
7.1 Editing the utility options
If you edit the utility options, you can "tweak" Qanalyst so it
does just what you like. Options will become capitalized and
highlighted, meaning you can modify them.
The following lists each item on the Utility options screen and
its possible settings:
Date separator. Qanalyst assumes log entry dates appear in
one of two formats: "xx/xx/xx" or "xx-xx-xx". The "/" or "-"
symbol is called a date separator character. This option lets
you specify a third separator character. Qanalyst will
automatically insert the date separator defined in QMODEM.CNF
if it finds the file at startup. (Qanalyst still looks for a
"/" or "-" date separator, don't worry about that.)
Chapter 7, "Utility options" 29
Time separator. Qanalyst assumes log entry times appear in
one format: "xx:xx:xx". The ":" symbol is a time separator.
This option lets you specify a second separator character.
Qanalyst automatically inserts the time separator defined in
QMODEM.CNF if it finds the file at startup. (Qanalyst will
still look for the ":" time separator, don't worry about
that.)
Full chrono log check. Qanalyst assumes a log file runs in
chronological order. But if you want to be certain, set this
option to Yes to make Qanalyst check the chronology of every
log entry. NOTE: the initial reading of each log file will
take about six times longer to complete! (Everything else
runs the same, though.)
Remove U/D entries. Qanalyst removes log entries concerning
uploads & downloads during a condense if you set this to Yes.
This is useful for people who (1) don't care to see reports on
files they transferred and (2) don't call places like GEnie or
CompuServe. Condensed log files will retain upload/download
log entries if you set this to No.
Number of copies. This dictates how many copies of a report
will be printed. Use the up & down arrow keys to change this
value.
Left indent (chars). The number of spaces Qanalyst will "pad"
on the left side before it prints a line. This is especially
useful for people using wide paper because they can center the
report on the page. Use the up & down arrow keys to change
this value. The centering formula is (x-78)/2, where x is the
number of characters you can print on a line.
Hdr/ftr margin (lines). The number of blank lines Qanalyst
puts at the top & bottom of each page. Use the up & down
arrow keys to change this value.
Lines per page. The number of lines on a page of paper. Use
the up & down arrow keys to change this value.
Printer device name. If Qanalyst sends a report to a printer,
it will send it to this device name. Many printers are set up
to be the "PRN" device, but some people have different needs.
Do NOT put a colon at the end of the device name.
Sort by BBS identity. Set this to Yes to make Qanalyst sort
the detailed reports by BBS name. Set this to No to sort the
reports by their phone numbers.
Always print a summary. Set this to Yes if you want Qanalyst
to print a summary report when you choose to print a detailed
report.
30 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Single-sheet paper. Set this to Yes if you want Qanalyst to
stop at the end of each page so you can load another sheet.
Eject using formfeed. Set this to Yes if your printer uses
the common "formfeed" symbol to eject a page. (Most printers
will accept this.)
Currency symbol. America uses "$" to designate money. Use
the up & down arrow keys to change this character if you wish.
Status msg delay (sec). The maximum number of seconds a
status message remains on the screen before it disappears.
Use the up & down arrow keys to change this value.
Return from analysis. Set this to Yes if you want to go back
to the main menu screen when analysis/maintenance is complete.
Set it to No if you want to go back to DOS. (This is ignored
when the /B command-line option is used.)
Round calls to next min. Set this to Yes if the phone company
begins charging for a call as soon as the other party picks up
the phone. It takes modems a few seconds to connect with each
other, and Qanalyst normally rounds each call up to the next
higher minute to make up for this. PC-Pursuit users may want
to set this to No if calls begin with one free minute. Note:
every call, to every telephone number, is affected by this
option.
Auto-save for PRF data. Qanalyst will automatically generate
a new phone-rate data file after analyzing the log(s) if this
is set to Yes. It will leave the phone-rate data file as-is
if it is set to No. Caution: See appendix section D.3 before
changing this option.
Use EGA/VGA 8x8 font. This works only on computers using an
EGA or VGA (or better) monitor. It is equivalent to the /8
option (see page 10 for details). Qanalyst switches into the
8x8 font when this is set to Yes, and will use whatever font
is active when it is set to No. The switching occurs as soon
as you return to the main menu screen.
Use growing windows. This is equal to the "Growing Windows"
option in Qmodem. Windows will "grow" as they appear and will
"shrink" as they disappear. Try it, it doesn't hurt anything.
Qanalyst automatically uses the growing-windows toggle defined
in QMODEM.CNF if it finds the file at startup. (Hint: choose
growing windows, go to the main menu, and then go back to the
utility options. Windows will grow all over the screen.)
Appendix A, "Error messages" 31
___________________________Appendix A____________________________
Error messages
A.1 Regular error messages
Regular error messages appear for a few seconds to tell you
something is wrong. The following is a list of such messages and
their possible causes. (We left out the obvious possible causes
like an unformatted disk or an open drive door.)
Cannot send report to a read-only file.
Cannot send report to an invalid filename.
Caution: using a v1.0 config file.
Qanalyst determined the configuration file is stored in the
v1.0 format. Check to make sure the data is what you expect.
Caution: using a v1.0 phone-rate file.
Qanalyst determined the phone-rate file is stored in the v1.0
format. Check to make sure the data is what you expect.
Could not find that file.
Couldn't find log listed in configuration.
One or more log files listed in the configuration file could
not be found.
Couldn't recognize "xxxxxxxx".
Multiple command-line options were specified without a space
or tab to separate them. "/I/N" is not acceptable, you must
say "/I /N".
An invalid command-line option was specified.
The specified Qanalyst configuration file doesn't exist.
DOS says today is Tue 1-1-80! That's not right!
The DOS date is not set properly. It won't affect Qanalyst,
but it could mean a bad log file. See section 1.5 for more
information.
32 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Error detected while writing a report to the printer or file.
The printer has gone off-line for some unknown reason.
The disk has become full.
Tried to write a file on a write-protected disk.
You declared an invalid printer device name in the utility
options. See chapter 7.
You declared a printer initialization (or exit) string which
somehow shuts down the printer so no more text will be
accepted. See chapter 7.
Too many files open at once. Check your CONFIG.SYS file to
see about increasing the FILES= entry. (Consult your DOS
manual if you are unfamiliar with this.) If you use a program
that can remove TSRs from memory, it may not have closed the
files used by those TSRs.
Error while reading or writing the xxxxxxxx file.
The file is not a valid Qanalyst v2.0 configuration file or
phone-rate file, or QMODEM.CNF v4.x file. (You might be
trying to read a file generated by a later version of
Qanalyst.)
The disk has become full.
Tried to write or erase a read-only file. (Note: This error
doesn't occur if Qanalyst tries to erase a backup log file.
The file will be erased whether or not it is read-only.)
Tried to write or erase a file on a write-protected disk.
Printer is not connected, or is not turned on.
Printer is not ready, for some unknown reason.
Sorry, that is a backup log file.
The log file has a ".BAL" extension. Rename the file.
That file is labeled as "read-only".
That is not a valid filename.
That phone record already exists.
The phone number you tried to add to the phone-rate data has
already been entered. Qanalyst will display the record
for you.
The DOS PRINT program has control of the printer.
Background printing is being performed on your system. The
program will simply wait for the printing to finish.
Appendix A, "Error messages" 33
The log file has no log entries.
The file is not a true Qmodem log file.
The file exists but is empty.
You used a date separator and/or a time separator character
other than the ones specified in Qanalyst.
The log file is corrupted in some way!
The computer lost power or rebooted while Qmodem was using the
log file. Some log entries were lost before being written to
the log file.
Qanalyst is executing inside a Qmodem-invoked DOS shell and is
trying to use the same log file. WARNING: Unpredictable
things may happen if you do this! Be smart ── don't run
Qanalyst from a Qmodem DOS shell. (Consult appendix
section C.5 for more details.)
The log file was condensed by a program that does not retain
vital log entries, or changes them to a different format.
The log file is not in chronological order!
The DOS date & time weren't set properly each and every time
the computer was booted. See section 1.5 for more
information.
An internal clock/calendar device failed to roll over to the
new year or failed to recognize a leapday. Juko products have
this design flaw, among others.
You reset the computer time to make up for Daylight Savings
Time just before or after a Qmodem session.
The log file was created by a computer using DOS 3.20 but is
being analyzed by Qanalyst under a different DOS version. See
section 1.5 for details.
There may not be enough free space on the disk.
Qanalyst is about to perform maintenance on a log file but has
noticed the disk is nearly full. The program will still do
maintenance but will terminate with an error message if it
runs out of working space. The original log file will not be
harmed if this occurs.
Warning: a DOS 3.20 bug can corrupt logs!
This information message appears whenever Qanalyst runs on a
computer using DOS version 3.20. See section 1.5.
34 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
A.2 Fatal error messages
Fatal errors are errors which force Qanalyst to come to an abrupt
end. "QANALYST PROGRAM TERMINATED:" appears on the screen with
an explanation message right below it. The following is a list
of such messages and their possible causes.
Bad parameter or filename on the MS-DOS command line.
An invalid command-line option was specified.
The /B option was specified but the program could not find a
configuration file. Declare a valid filename on the DOS
command line, or put QANALYST.CFG where it can be found.
The /B option and /I option were specified together. These
two options are mutually exclusive.
The /F or /T option was not correctly specified. The format
must be "/F" or "/Fxx/xx/xx". Don't put a space anywhere
in it.
The date specified for the /F option is later than the date
specified for the /T option. Swap the dates.
The /F or /T option specifies an invalid date.
Cannot send report to a read-only file.
The /B option was specified and the report was to be sent to a
file, but it is designated as a read-only file.
Cannot send report to an invalid filename.
The /B option was specified and the report was to be sent to a
file, but the filename is invalid. It might now be a direc-
tory or a volume label instead of a legitimate filename.
Couldn't find log listed in configuration.
The /B option was specified but one or more of the log files
listed in the configuration file could not be found.
Error while reading or writing the xxxxxxxx file.
See the reasons listed for this same error message in appendix
section A.1.
The phone-rate file is corrupted.
Error detected while writing a report to the printer or file.
See the reasons listed for this same error message in appendix
section A.1.
Appendix A, "Error messages" 35
Not enough memory to continue.
Qanalyst "grows" while it analyzes log files, and grew too
large to fit in memory. Remove memory-resident programs and
try it again. If you use multitasking software, increase
Qanalyst's memory allotment or remove other programs from the
queue.
Qmodem Log file: xxxxxxxx was positioned at line nnnn.
An information message showing which log file Qanalyst was
using and the line number it was positioned at when the pro-
gram terminated. This message appears only if the problem
involved a log file.
Runtime error nnnn at xxxx:yyyy
This "catch-all" error message means a problem occurred that
Qanalyst wasn't programmed to handle. Please tell Barn Owl
Software if you get this message and give a detailed descrip-
tion of what you did that led up to it. Call the support BBS
24 hours a day at (618) 398-5703.
The log file has no log entries.
See the reasons listed for this same error message in appendix
section A.1.
The log file is corrupted in some way!
See the reasons listed for this same error message in appendix
section A.1.
The log file is not in chronological order!
See the reasons listed for this same error message in appendix
section A.1.
A.3 Exit codes
Qanalyst generates an exit code when it is done that tells how
the session went. The code is known as the "ERRORLEVEL" in batch
files. (Consult your DOS manual if you are unfamiliar with
this.) The possible exit codes are:
36 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Table A.1: Qanalyst exit codes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
0 : Normal termination (or user pressed ALT-X or CTRL-C)
1 : Error while reading or writing the configuration file
2 : Error while reading or writing the phone-rate file
3 : Error while reading the QMODEM.CNF file
4 : Error while writing a report to the printer or file
5 : Error while reading or writing the log file
6 : The log file has no log entries
7 : The log file is not in chronological order
8 : The log file is corrupted in some way
9 : Bad parameter or filename on the MS-DOS command line
10 : Couldn't find log file listed in configuration
11 : Not enough memory to continue
12 : Cannot send report to a read-only file
13 : Cannot send report to an invalid filename
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Appendix B, "Qanalyst v1.0 users" 37
___________________________Appendix B____________________________
Qanalyst v1.0 users
This appendix is for users upgrading from Qanalyst v1.0. A num-
ber of changes have been made to the program. This will offer
the upgrading Qanalyst user a quick look at what's new.
The biggest addition to Qanalyst is its ability to analyze your
uploads and downloads. This of course includes the cost to
transfer those files.
Qanalyst can now generate a report based solely on the last call
you made or on a specific telephone number, even if the call is
still in progress. See appendix section C.2.
Host BBS charges can now be entered separate from the cost of the
phone call itself. (This will be a boon to CompuServe and GEnie
subscribers.) You can even specify if a host BBS suspends
charges during uploads, meaning a more accurate cost analysis.
See chapter 6.
Qanalyst v2.0 automatically reads its v1.0 files.
Qanalyst v2.0 isn't compatible with Qmodem v3.x logs. Don't keep
appending to an old Qmodem log file! Start a brand-new log when
you get Qmodem v4.x.
We no longer call it the "phone log file." We now refer to it
simply as the "log file". Some users were confusing the phone
log file with the phone-rate file.
The following command-line options are no longer valid: /L, /P,
/S, and /W. They are now part of the configuration file data and
you can change them on the screen. See section 7.
The following command-line options were added: /E, /F, and /T.
See section 2.1.
You can now declare specific to/from dates on the command line.
You are no longer forced to analyze/maintain an entire log file
when running under the /B command-line option.
Qmodem v4.x's ALT-D prefix codes are now reflected in the log
file, giving users the power to tailor some phone numbers so
Qanalyst views them as toll records instead of long-distance or
"odd" records, for example. (Consult your Qmodem manual if you
are unfamiliar with this.) See appendix section D.4.
Qanalyst now sorts the detailed report by BBS name, not by phone
number. You can still request sorting by the phone number if you
wish. See chapter 7.
38 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
The Append-from-phone-logs menu command has been augmented by the
Condense-phone-rate-data menu command. See page 20 and also see
appendix section D.3.
There is better support for people who use MicroSoft Windows or
DoubleDOS multitasking software. See section 1.6.
Qanalyst can now initialize your printer and use boldface to
accentuate reports. See page 27.
Appendix C, "Helpful hints" 39
___________________________Appendix C____________________________
Helpful hints
C.1 Invoking Qanalyst
Here are a few visual aids for Qanalyst's start-up options:
QANALYST
Starts the program with no special instructions.
QANALYST /I/N
Wrong! You must put a space between each option. The program
will only see the /I option in this case.
QANALYST /N
The program starts up in silent mode. You can turn the bells
& whistles on or off at any menu.
QANALYST /B /F1-1:60 C:\DOS\DATA\MY-DATA.CFG
The program runs automatically, using the configuration infor-
mation in MY-DATA.CFG. (You could print a report of your
calls whenever you boot up, for example.) The program will
only operate on log entries that fall between 1-1-89 and the
date which is 60 days later ── in this case, 3-2-89.
QANALYST /F /T
The program defaults to log entries falling on today's date.
It's an easy way to summarize what calls you made and what
files you've transferred so far today.
QANALYST /I /E
Orders the program to use its internal defaults instead of
looking for a configuration file. It will also ignore LIM EMS
memory if present.
QANALYST /BL /T:1 C:\QMODEM\LASTCALL.CFG
The program runs automatically and generates reports on the
very last call you made, even if the call is still in
progress. LASTCALL.CFG is a special Qanalyst configuration
file set up for this purpose.
C.2 One call? One phone number?
Qanalyst v2.0 introduces the option of "last call," "current
call," and "single number" analysis. You can now order the pro-
gram to generate reports based solely on the last call you made
(even if it's still in progress), or just on calls to a specific
telephone number.
40 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
Use the /BL option when you want to generate a report on the last
call you made. Use the /BS option when you want to generate a
report for a specific telephone number. Please become familiar
with the /B option first. (See page 10.)
Be sure to create a special Qanalyst configuration file for each
purpose and include the name on the command line when you use the
/BL or /BS option. You can even get Qmodem to do all the work
for you in a SCRipt file if you want. (See appendix section C.5
for hints.)
If you use the /BL option, you must list only one log file in
your configuration file. If you use the /BS option, you may
specify all the log files you want (up to 20).
You can, of course, specify /BL and /BS together. You can get a
report of the last call you made to a specific BBS whether or not
it was the very last call you placed.
If you want a report on the current call in progress, you should
also use the command-line option "/T:1" (see page 11). This will
considerably speed up the analysis process.
C.3 Getting rates from Ma Bell
Your biggest problem with Qanalyst may be getting phone-rate data
out of your phone company. The following tips are probably the
most important ones you'll find in this manual.
AT&T, MCI, and US Sprint refuse to offer electronic access to
their phone rate databases. These companies claim they are more
than happy to tell you their rates if you talk to an operator.
Barn Owl Software recently filed a complaint with the FCC about
this. If you want to make your voice heard, write to the Federal
Communications Commission, Information & Complaints, Room #6202,
Washington, DC 20544.
Operators usually say long-distance calls are charged by the
mileage between you and the other line. However, if you know the
cost for one number in a given area code, you can pretty much use
that figure for all numbers in that area code. Area code default
records come in quite handy in Qanalyst.
Operators will usually supply you with two complete sets of
phone-rate data for a given area code or toll prefix. Try not to
ask for more data in a single call. Remember, operators have to
help other customers too.
If you use AT&T, call (800) 222-0300 and ask for a "cheat sheet"
of nationwide long-distance rates. It shows distances to many
cities and the rates for various distances. Their chart can help
you calculate phone-rate data on your own. (The other long-
distance services probably have a similar chart.)
Appendix C, "Helpful hints" 41
C.4 Get the correct time
One thing you can depend on is the fact that all phone companies
set their timing clocks according to an atomic clock. You can
find out the absolute correct time by dialing one. You might
want to call one occasionally to make sure your computer is set
to the correct time.
You can hear the correct time from the Naval Observatory's master
atomic clock by dialing (900) 410-8463. There is a fifty-cent
charge for each call.
You can also get the correct time from any ham radio tuner by
tuning to 10.0000MHz. The time is called out by voice and by
Morse code once a minute with an audible tick every second.
C.5 Shelling to DOS from Qmodem
We've said it before and we'll say it again. You run a risk of
corrupting your log file if you use Qanalyst while you're in a
Qmodem v4.0 DOS shell. The problem surfaces when both programs
fight for control of the same log file at the same time. This
problem was corrected with the release of Qmodem v4.1.
The Qmodem v4.0 problem can be fixed if you use Qmodem's ALT-0
command just before you shell to DOS. You will of course have to
press ALT-0 again to restart the log when you exit the shell.
If you want to use Qanalyst from inside a Qmodem DOS shell, we
recommend you use the following QANALYST.SCR SCRipt file:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
; SCRipt to *safely* run Qanalyst from a Qmodem v4.0 DOS shell.
TURNOFF LOG
DOS "QANALYST"
LOG SESSION.LOG
RETURN
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure C.1: Sample QANALYST.SCR SCRipt file for Qmodem v4.0
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
; SCRipt to run Qanalyst from a Qmodem v4.1 or later DOS shell.
DOS "QANALYST"
RETURN
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Figure C.2: Sample QANALYST.SCR SCRipt file for Qmodem v4.1 and later
Next, attach this SCRipt to one of your function keys so you can
call it with a single keystroke. (Consult your Qmodem manual if
you are unfamiliar with this.) Put "@SCRIPT QANALYST.SCR" in the
function key.
42 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
If you decide to execute Qanalyst from Qmodem, you can press a
single function key. Qmodem will relinquish SESSION.LOG while
you work in the DOS shell.
You can modify this SCRipt slightly so Qanalyst reports only on
the last phone call you made, even if the call is still in
progress. See appendix section C.2 for more details.
C.6 Special calling problems
There are a number of cases where people dial local or toll num-
bers that can confuse Qanalyst. In Maryland for example, you
have to dial your area code to make a toll call. In Los Angeles,
you never dial a "1" prefix to reach a toll number. Brookville,
Indiana residents don't have to dial all seven digits for a local
call (they can get away with five). The list goes on.
Qanalyst has to draw the line at some point: it can't handle
every possible dialing anomaly. But there are a few ways you can
fool Qanalyst into handling these cases so the phone numbers show
up in the right place on your report. The methods presented here
have their pros & cons, and this is by no means a complete list.
They're here to spur your imagination to find a solution to your
dialing anomaly.
Please note that most of these methods involve Qmodem v4.x's
enhancements to the ALT-D prefix code capability. See appendix
section D.4 and also consult your Qmodem manual before you play
with prefix codes.
If you have to dial your own area code to make a toll call, you
can create a Qmodem ALT-D prefix code that contains the "1"
prefix and your area code. Next, change your dialing directory
entries so they show the prefix code instead of your area code.
The prefix code will show up in your log file and Qanalyst will
internally convert it to a "1". As far as Qanalyst is concerned,
it's working with a toll number.
Or, you can just create a default area code record for your area
code. It will act like the toll root default record. The toll-
rate function of the program will simply go unused.
If you don't need a "1" prefix to call a toll number, create a
Qmodem ALT-D prefix code with no information in it. Add this
prefix code to the appropriate dialing directory entries. Qmodem
will write it in the log file and Qanalyst will think you dialed
a toll number.
If you don't need to dial all seven digits to connect with a
local BBS, it's best to put the whole phone number in the dialing
directory entry. Two digits won't make a difference to Qmodem.
Appendix C, "Helpful hints" 43
C.7 Special phone rates
If you pay a set rate for calls no matter how long you talk,
specify that cost as the daytime/evening/nighttime "first minute"
phone company rate. The "subsequent minute" phone company rate
should be set to zero.
If you have AT&T's "Reach Out America" plan, enter the same rate
for the first & subsequent hour nighttime rates. Qanalyst
doesn't calculate calls like AT&T does on this plan. (Change the
nighttime rates on the long-distance root default record and any
long-distance records you've declared). And remember to set the
nighttime starting time to 22:00.
PC-Pursuit users may want to consider setting the Utilities menu
"Round calls to next min" option to No. This might improve the
accuracy of long-distance reports. See chapter 7 for more
information.
44 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
___________________________Appendix D____________________________
Troubleshooting
D.1 Log file problems
Remember to exit from Qmodem with the ALT-X command before you
shut off your computer! Failing to do so may corrupt the log
file. Important information will be lost before it is written to
disk. You should ALWAYS terminate Qmodem with the ALT-X command.
Be nice to your log file.
Be sure to start new log files if you ever change the Qmodem
date/time separator characters. Qanalyst expects these to remain
constant in each log file. You'll confuse Qanalyst if it changes
to some other character.
D.2 Qmodem log anomalies
The Forbin Project made quite a few changes to the log file
format based on our suggestions, but they didn't heed all of our
advice. Please be aware of the following:
18:24:01 01-17-89 MANUAL DIAL > ATDT398-5703^M
All MANUAL DIAL commands are logged regardless of whether a
connection is made. The modem command sequence itself is
entered into the log file (not just the phone number).
Qanalyst cannot properly extract the phone number in many
cases, and it sometimes mishandles a call that fails to
connect. Qanalyst will highlight any MANUAL DIAL entries in
its reports because of this.
Caution: if you use Qmodem's Manual Dial capability and you
enter a bad number (say you forgot to put a "1" at the start
of a long-distance number), your error will show up in the log
file.
Please avoid Qmodem's manual dialing capability. We suggest
you temporarily place the number in a free phone directory
entry, tag it for dialing, and then remove it when you're
done.
18:32:06 01-19-89 @HOST CALLBACK KAREN MILLER Number > 398-5703
All HOST CALLBACK attempts are logged regardless of whether
the remote user establishes a re-connect. Qanalyst can handle
it correctly in most cases, but there are a few exceptions
where the program will unknowingly generate an inaccurate
report.
Appendix D, "Troubleshooting" 45
01:11:25 11-18-89 Download Executing DSZ-DN.BAT.
01:11:26 11-18-89 @SHELL DSZ-DN.BAT 19200 1
01:12:18 11-18-89 ++ @SHELL Successful
Qanalyst cannot handle external protocol file transfers. What
you see here in line #3 is misleading: Qmodem is simply saying
it had enough memory to drop to DOS. It tells you nothing
about the true status of the file transfer(s).
For this reason, Qanalyst will report all external protocol
file transfers as having aborted. We apologize for this, but
we know of no way to accurately track external protocol
transfers.
Forbin Project has committed to switch to the Call Data
Standard with the release of Qmodem v5.0. External protocols
will be able to "tell" Qmodem what they did if they, too,
adhere to CDS.
D.3 Phone-rate file problems
Be careful when you use the "Append from phone logs" menu command
or the "Auto-save for PRF data" option! Both will create records
for specific phone numbers, which can cause big problems
later on.
These commands let you quickly create a phone-rate data file with
records for every phone number in the log(s). You can make
changes to records without having to create them first.
The problem comes along later, when you make more changes to the
phone-rate data. If you change an area-code default record and
you didn't realize there were still some records for specific
numbers, your reports will probably be inaccurate. Qanalyst will
ignore the area-code default record if it finds a prefix default
record or a specific-number record.
The "Condense phone rate data" menu command will remove any
redundant phone-rate records. Be sure to use it when you finish
making changes to the phone-rate data. You won't have to change
so many records later on if your phone rates go up or down. (Why
keep redundant data?)
If you call networks which charge you for your online time
(CompuServe and GEnie are good examples), check your phone-rate
files and separate the network's charges from the phone company's
charges. This helps produce more accurate reports.
D.4 Report problems
If your report cost totals come out weird, it usually means you
supplied bad phone-rate data. Check the following:
46 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
1. Did you specify the proper to/from analysis dates for each
log configuration? Did you accidentally enter a log con-
figuration twice? (Some people do this on purpose to
generate reports for a non-contiguous calling period.)
2. Does the phone-rate data file contain a record for the
specific phone number? If so, Qanalyst will use that cost
data instead of looking at a default record. See appendix
section D.3.
3. Did you specify minute or hourly rates? Costs will be 60
times larger or smaller if you mix these up. (If Qanalyst
prints '****' instead of a number, you probably entered an
hourly rate and said the cost was by the minute.)
4. Did you specify when daytime/evening/nighttime rates go
into effect? Did you enter the times correctly?
5. Did you specify if uploads are free of host BBS charges?
(This only applies if you entered host BBS cost data.)
Did you use a v1.0 phone-rate file? Study your phone-rate
data to make sure it's accurate. It could be that a host
BBS charge was combined with a phone company charge.
6. Did you set the master override-rate schedules properly
for daytime/evening/nighttime rates? Did you set them for
phone company costs as well as for host BBS costs?
You might find it easier to print the phone-rate data so you can
see it on paper. The "Print phone-rate data" menu command is
explained on page 20.
Problems may be hidden in the Qmodem ALT-D prefix codes. (Con-
sult your Qmodem manual if you are unfamiliar with this.)
Qanalyst tries its best to handle the prefix codes but it can't
account for every possibility.
Qanalyst internally strips all front-end prefix codes and appends
a "1" to the number unless it is already present. Prefix codes
at the end of the number will be stripped off. Any prefix code
in the middle of the number will be left where it stands.
As you can see, dialing a local number with front-end prefix
codes would make Qanalyst think you dialed a toll number. (This
is just one example, of course.)
D.5 Modem problems
The following bulletin was taken from The Forbin Project BBS (the
official support board for Qmodem). It details some of the
problems which affect log files and thus affect Qanalyst. Many
thanx go to John Friel for this useful information.
Appendix D, "Troubleshooting" 47
Registered Qmodem users can contact the Forbin Project BBS at
(319) 233-6517 to read many other helpful bulletins.
Problem: When I start up Qmodem, the Online/Offline indicator
in the status line always says ONLINE. Why?
Answer: The modem is sending a signal back to Qmodem saying
it is connected to another computer. On Hayes 2400 modems &
clones using the '&' (ampersand) extended commands, there is
usually a command to control the CD (carrier detect) signal.
The default mode (unfortunately) is for CD to be on all the
time which makes Qmodem think it is ONLINE. To make things
right, send the following command to your modem from Qmodem's
terminal mode:
AT&C1
You will have to check your modem manual to verify this
command in case it is not quite 100% Hayes compatible.
Modems this is known to cure:
Hayes 2400 (all models)
Hayes V-Series (all models)
Practical Peripherals (all models)
Anchor Automation Patriot 2400i
Some modems, as in the case of the Courier HST from
USRobotics, have a switch which by default has Carrier forced
true. Switch number 6 is DOWN from the factory and must be
set to UP to work correctly. Running the HST20.SCR will bring
this fact to light.
48 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
___________________________Appendix E____________________________
Acknowledgments
First, a note of thanks to every registered Qanalyst user. The
shareware concept is based on the honesty & integrity of the
person using the program. Registered Qanalyst users have proven
there's still a lot of honesty in the world.
Please support all the shareware products you use. And look for
the ASP's distinctive three-disk logo ── you can bet there's a
professional standing behind his or her program!
E.1 Dedication
To my computer-widow wife, Denise, without whom I would have no
one to tuck into bed at night. (Can I say "I love you" in the
Qanalyst manual?) I hope no one will mind that I listed her name
in the index. <grin>
E.2 The beta testers
Everyone on the beta test crew is a registered Qmodem user.
There were quite a few beta testers since I opened up the testing
to all registered users, so forgive me for not listing everyone
by name. They know know who they are! Thanx, guys.
E.3 Many thanx to
John Friel III and The Forbin Project, for the all-powerful
Qmodem that got me started as a modemer;
Karl Brendel, author of QFE (another great Qmodem enhancement
program) and a good friend to have in the ASP;
Philippe Kahn and his crew at Borland International, for the
Turbo Pascal compiler and every structured program it spawns, for
the Sprint word processor which created this manual, and for the
monetary support he provides to the Association of Shareware
Professionals;
Kim Kokkonen and his crew at TurboPower Software, for their great
Turbo Pascal toolkits & other fantastic products;
Jim Button, for pioneering the concept of shareware and for
helping form the Association of Shareware Professionals.
Index 49
_________________________________________________________________
Index
/8 10, 30 F
/B 8, 9, 10, 11, 30, files 5
34, 37, 40 floppy drive 7
/E 10 Forbin Project 1
/F 10, 15, 34
/I 11, 34 G
/N 11 GEnie See: networks
/T 11, 15, 34
H
A hints 25, 30, 39, 40
AT&T holidays 21
Reach Out America 43
L
B legal notices 1
backup file 16 license
BAL 16, 32 corporate 3
Barn Owl address 1 volume discounts 3
batch mode See: /B
M
C MicroSoft
Call Data Standard See: Windows 8
CDS
cautions 6, 20, 22, 30, N
44, See Also: networks 1, 24, 45
warnings notes 5, 6, 10, 11, 14,
CDS 5, 8, 45 15, 16, 19, 24, 25,
cfg-file 10 26, 29, 30, 32, 42,
CompuServe See: See Also: cautions
networks
CONFIG.SYS 32 O
configuration 10, 11, OmniView 8
12, 13, 14, 28, 31,
34, 39 P
PC-Pursuit 30, 43
D phone-rate data 19, 22
Denise 48 phone rates 22
DESQView 8 PIF file See: MicroSoft
disk vendors 2
distributors See: disk Q
vendors Qanalyst
DOS 3.20 7 limited license 2
DoubleDOS 8 support 3
DSZ 45 syntax 11
QMODEM.CNF See: /B
E Qmodem
ERRORLEVEL 35 DOS shells 33, 41
exit code 35 log anomalies 44
external protocols 6
50 Qanalyst v2.0 User Manual
prefix code shareware 2, 11
capability 25, 26,
37, 42, 46 T
versions 6 TaskView 8
Telex See: networks
R The Source See:
registration 3 networks
corporate 3 trademarks 1
volume discounts 3
reports V
bad reports 7, 23, visual aids 39
24, 44, 45
just on last call 39 W
on the call in warnings 6, 33, See
progress 39 Also: notes
warranty 2
S
screens Z
EGA/VGA 10 Zmodem See: DSZ
