Copyright: (c) 1995,1996 by Michael Dvorkin


Help on BusinessDialer

Welcome and thanks for using BusinessDialer! For more information on program features please click on highlighted items below.

Introduction

What is the BusinessDialer?

What are the new features in v1.1?

Help on...

Running the BusinessDialer

Setting up the BusinessDialer

BusinessDialer Main Window

Using Speed Dial Pad

Integrating with BusinessCards

Troubleshooting

General information

How to register the program?

About shareware

Credits...


What is BusinessDialer?

What is the BusinessDialer?

BusinessDialer - a simple yet powerful telephone dialer program. It is elegant and uncomplicated - it doesnt require specialized computer knowledge. Once you set it up it accomplishes a lot with just one mouse click. Like its older brother, BusinessCards for Windows, BusinessDialer has both depth and flexibility to meet the needs of advanced and casual users alike. The key features of BusinessDialer are as follows:

•	BusinessDialer is designed as a completely independent module, however it is fully integrated with BusinessCards for Windows version 3.0 and above.  You can invoke the dialer directly from BusinessCards by clicking Dial on the toolbar or selecting Card/Dial menu command.

•	Great standalone program - BusinessDialer does not require any other programs running and can be launched directly from Windows.

•	Stores up to 90 frequently used phone numbers for speed dialing. There are 10 configurable Speed Dial pages, each containing up to 9 phone numbers.

•	Allows you to assign a particular label for any speed dial button, so you can name your phone numbers. For example, when pressing Office dial button, the BusinessDialer could dial business phone number.

•	Recognizes and dials mnemonic phone numbers, such as 1-800-DVORKIN.

•	Shows the call status and may also be used as a timer.  Once you pick up the phone it shows you the time you spend on the line.

•	Provides basic modem setup, including dial type, modem speed and communication port.


What are the new features in v1.1?

The following lists major new functions, implemented since the first v1.0 release of BusinessDialer:

•	added name search feature; it lets you enter person's name instead of his/her phone number; the dialer then looks up speed dial pages and substitutes the name with appropriatephone number (if any);

•	added Speaker option in setup, which lets you control modem's speaker volume when dialing ("Off", "Low", "Medium" or "High");

•	added Long distance prefix now the dialer automatically adds long distance prefix, when it detects long distance phone number;

•	added Current area code options in setup; now the dialer skips area code if it matches the local one;

•	allow semicolons in phone numbers; you can use them as a pause command for modem;

•	added extensive reference database of country codes and USA local area codes. See Codes... command in system menu;

•	added missing keyboard functionality; now F1 invokes Help and Alt+D dials phone numbers.


Using BusinessDialer

Running the BusinessDialer

There are several ways to run BusinessDialer:

•	If you have BusinessDialer icon installed in your Program Manager group, double click on that icon;

•	Double click on BDIAL.EXE file in File Manager. You can use File Managers File/Find command to locate the BDIAL.EXE file on your hard drive;

•	Launch BusinessDialer directly from BusinessCards by clicking on Dial button or selecting Card/Dial command. BusinessCards application searches current card for valid phone number and passes it to BusinessDialer automatically (this feature is limited to 30 days trial period in unregistered version).

You can move BusinessDialer window by clicking the left-hand mouse button on window title bar and dragging it on your screen.  The program remembers the last location of its main window and opens it up in the same place next time you launch the program.

You my also check Always On Top option, so that BusinessDialer window will always be displayed on top of other overlapping windows, even if the program is inactive or minimized.


Setting up the BusinessDialer

In order to run BusinessDialer you must have a modem connected to your computer serial port. The modem and telephone must be simultaneously connected to the same phone line.

The program is designed to work with any Hayes-compatible modem. Basically, if the Windows Cardfile can dial a phone number on your system, then BusinessDialer should be able to dial it as well.

Before using BusinessDialer for the first time, you should configure the program for your modem. To open BusinessDialer Setup dialog box press Setup... button in main window. The following options may be set up in the dialog:

Dial type	allows to set the dialing type to Tone (default setting) or Pulse. If your phone set supports touch-tone dialing, select Tone type. Alternatively, for rotary dial system use Pulse type.
COM port	allows to choose the communication port to which your modem is connected. Most personal computers have 2 communications (serial) ports: one for mouse and other for modem.
Baud rate	sets the communication speed of your modem. The BusinessDialer can communicate with modems ranging in speed from 300 to 14400 baud. With most modern modems the baud rate is irrelevant. If you are unsure of the capabilities of your modem, select default setting of 2400 baud.
Speaker	controls speaker volume on your modem when dialing phone numbers. Select on of the following values: Off, Low, Medium and High.
Long distance prefix	optional long distance code - BusinessDialer will add this code automatically when dialing long distance numbers.
Current area code	BusinessDialer skips current area code and makes a local call, when the code matches area code provided with the phone number.
Immediate dialing	instructs BusinessDialer to dial the number immediately, when launched from BusinessCards or after you press speed dial button. Otherwise you must press Dial button after the phone number appears in edit field.
Prefix	some office telephone systems require you to dial a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) access number to obtain outside line. When you check Use Prefix option, the BusinessDialer will first dial the number provided in Prefix field.
Suffix	this is similar to Prefix option above. When you check Use Suffix option, BusinessDialer will append number from Suffix field to the phone number when dialing.
Answer after	specifies the time (in seconds) after which BusinessDialer will answer the call and hang up the line. This value is important for handling busy or unanswered calls. At least 30 seconds are recommended for long distance dialing.


BusinessDialer Main Window

As you can see, BusinessDialer window looks and functions like an advanced push-button telephone. You can dial numbers from the main window just as if you were using a regular phone.

Display area

This is the field in upper left part of the window. It shows the current phone number, which may be entered from keyboard, pasted from Windows Clipboard, placed by pressing speed dial button or entered automatically from BusinessCards application. BusinessDialer accepts alphabetic characters and correctly dials numbers, such as 1-800-DVORKIN. Also, you may enter a name, associated with speed dial button. In this case BusinessDialer looks up speed dial pages and inserts appropriate phone number. To clear display area use Clear button. Use Backspace key to correct any typing errors.

Phone keypad

The phone keypad lets you use mouse to enter phone numbers. Just click on keypad button and appropriate number appears in the display area.

Message bar

Message bar is used to display call status, error or information messages. BusinessCards also automatically initiates timer and displays it on message bar after you press Talk button and answer the call. To stop the timer click left-hand mouse button anywhere in the main window.

Dial Button

When you press Dial button (or press Enter), BusinessCards picks up the current phone number, combines it with Prefix and Suffix data (if any) and dials it through your modem. When you issue the dial command, the program displays Dialing... message on message bar and you will hear the modem dialing the phone number.

Talk Button

This button disconnects the modem from the telephone line, so you may pick up the handset and answer the call. You can monitor the progress of a call on the modem speaker, through a phone handset or over a speaker phone. When you have reached your party and wish to speak do the following:

•	Pick up the telephone.

•	Click the Talk button or press the Space bar on your keyboard.

If you do not want to speak (or if the line is busy), simply leave your phone on the hook. BusinessDialer will automatically hang up the modem after the number of seconds, specified in Answer after setup option.

Clear Button

This button clears the display area and stops the timer. You may also stop the timer by clicking anywhere in main window.

Setup... Button

This button invokes BusinessDialer Setup dialog box, which lets you configure program options. See Setting up the BusinessDialer for more information.

SpeedDial Button

A 10-page Speed Dial pad may be used for quick dialing. You press SpeedDial button to show or hide Speed Dial pad. The pad contains page title and 9 buttons. You can assign mnemonic name and corresponding phone number to each button. See Using Speed Dial Pad for more information on using this feature.


Using Speed Dial Pad

BusinessDialer can store up to 90 frequently used phone numbers in its internal speed dial memory. The memory is organized as 10-page Speed Dial pad, where each page stores up to 9 name/phone number pairs.

For easy navigating, each page also has its own title and color. For example, you may assign name Office to red page and store your frequently used business phone numbers on that page. Initial page titles are Page 1 of 10, Page 2 of 10 and so on, but you may choose more meaningful names in Speed Dial Setup dialog, which is described below.

To configure Speed Dial pad do the following:

•	Click SpeedDial>> button to extend main window and open up the dial pad if it is not already visible;

•	Click page title button to invoke Speed Dial Setup dialog box;

•	To assign a new page title enter its name in edit field in upper part of the window. Use easily remembered names, such as Office, New York, etc.;

•	To assign a new names and phone numbers just enter appropriate data in Name/Phone Number fields. The Name portion will appear on buttons in SpeedDial pad. Corresponding phone number will be dialed when you press that button;

•	To browse through the pages use >> and << buttons. The << button displays previous page, while the >> button advances to the next one;

•	When you have finished entering the data, press Ok to save the data or Cancel to cancel.

To dial a Speed Dial pad number do the following:

•	Click SpeedDial>> button to extend main window and open up the dial pad if it is not already visible;

•	Click the desired button, so that appropriate phone number appears in display area. If Immediate dial option is not set (see Setting up the BusinessDialer), then click Dial button or press Enter. Otherwise, speed dial number will be dialed automatically;

•	Click SpeedDial<< button to hide Speed Dial pad.


Integrating with BusinessCards

BusinessDialer integrates with BusinessCards for Windows version 3.0 and above. When you are running BusinessCards, you can access the dialer by pressing Dial toolbar button or selecting Card/Dial command.

If there is current card selected, BusinessCards scans cards contents for a phone number and passes it directly to the dialer. If there is no valid phone number, BusinessCards just launches the dialer, so that you can enter a number manually.

Alternatively, you may want to highlight a phone number and then click Dial to invoke the dialer. In this case BusinessCards passes to dialer only highlighted portion of a card. This feature may be helpful if your cards contain several phone numbers and you want to choose particular one.

Starting with version v3.20, BusinessCards offers new dialing preview function, which is accessible by pressing Shift F5. Dialing preview scans current card and highlights the phone number BusinessCards is about to dial. By pressing Shift F5 repeatedly you can skip unwanted numbers, such as ZIP code or apartment number.


Troubleshooting

If you can dial a phone number on your system running Windows 3.1 or later, then BusinessDialer should be able to dial it as well. If you have a problem dialing a number from BusinessDialer, try to see whether it can be repeated in the Windows Cardfile program. If the problem persists in Cardfile, you should probably contact Microsoft Corp. or your modem manufacturer for assistance.

If Windows Cardfile dials phone numbers correctly, please review information below for possible common BusinessDialer problems.

1) The BusinessDialer does not hang up: click the Talk button or press Space several times.

2) The BusinessDialer hangs up before you press the Talk button: increase the values of Answer after option in BusinessDialer Setup dialog box. This value controls the time your modem stays on the line before automatically hanging up.

3) The BusinessDialer does not work with COM3 or COM4 ports: currently Windows has built-in support for 4 serial ports, however there are a couple of tricks to make them work properly in 386 enhanced mode. Please check [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI file (which is located in Windows directory) and add the following lines if they are missing:

COM3Base=3E8h

COM4Base=2E8h

If this change does not help, try to add the following line to the same [386Enh] section:

COMIrqSharing=1

4) The BusinessDialer can not open communication device: try to select different communication port in BusinessDialer Setup dialog box. If it doesnt help, check to see if the system has serial ports installed and your modem has physical port connection. Make sure your modem is turned on.

5) The BusinessDialer does not dial a phone number correctly: click the Setup... button and carefully check all setup options, such as port number, communication speed and dial type. Please refer to your modem manufacturers documentation for more information on setting up your modem.

6) Insufficient memory to run BusinessDialer: this error may occur if you have too many applications up and running at the same time. Try to close some of them and try again. If the problem persists, your only option is to restart Windows.

7) Is it possible to make a pause when dialing a phone number? yes, just insert one or more semicolon characters in the phone string, for example: 123-456-7890,,,321 will make a pause before dialing the extension.

Please refer to Setting up the BusinessDialer for more information on setting program options and parameters.


Distribution Policy

How to register BusinessDialer?

BusinessDialer is distributed as integral part of another application, called BusinessCards for Windows. It comes bundled with both shareware and registered releases of BusinessCards for Windows version 3.0 and above. When you register BusinessCards, you also get free registered version of BusinessDialer.

There are many ways to register BusinessCards software:

1) MONEY ORDER, CHECKS OR CASH

Please send your Money Order, Check or Cash to:

Michael Dvorkin

P.O. Box 862

San Bruno, CA

94066-0862 USA

For non-cash overseas orders I can accept personal checks in major hard currencies. This covers most of Western Europe, Japan and Australia - if you live there you can make the payment in your local currency. For the rest of the world non-cash orders must be accompanied by an International Money Order or a check in US Funds, drawn on an US banking institution. No Eurochecks please.

For your convenience file ORDER.TXT, included in program distribution, contains order form -- just fill it out and send to address above.

2) CREDIT CARD ORDERS

You can order the program with MasterCard, Visa, American express or Discover credit card from Public Software Library (PsL) by calling:

Toll-free: 1-800-2424-PSL

Phone: (713)524-6394

Fax: (713)524-6398

CompuServe: 71355,470

Internet: 71355.470@compuserve.com

Please mention the product number 11305. PsL office hours for placing your order are 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM CST Monday - Thursday and 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM CST on Friday.

You can also mail credit card orders to PsL at P.O.Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705 USA. Please provide cardholders name exactly as it appears on your credit card and include billing address for the card.

Please note, that the above numbers are for orders only. Any questions about status of the shipment, registration options, distribution possibilities, product details, technical support, volume discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, etc. must be directed to me, program author, Michael Dvorkin.

3) COMPUSERVE ONLINE REGISTRATION

GO SWREG

Product number: 4073

Product title: BusinessCards for Windows

CompuServe provides on-line registration (SWREG), which is part of basic services and requires no additional payments. Electronic orders may be placed with CompuServe Information Services and billed directly to your CompuServe statements for your convenience. Just GO SWREG and request BusinessCards registration (please keep product number 4073 and/or file name BCARDS.ZIP handy when ordering).

4) INTERNET ONLINE REGISTRATION

Please visit BusinessCards home pages at one of the locations below and follow the links for online registrations:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mid

http://members.aol.com/mid

I have tried to list as many options as possible at present time for your convenience. Register whatever means is most convenient to you. If none of above is convenient for you to register BusinessCards, please feel free to contact me for a viable solution. We can arrange for some special methods of registrations anyway.

Please also feel free to ask about bundling deals and special customized versions.


Shareware

About shareware

Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you do not use the product, you don't pay for it.

The program author, Michael Dvorkin, is 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 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442, or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.


Credits

Credits...

BusinessDialer Version v1.1

Copyright © 1995, 1996 by Michael Dvorkin

Dedicated to my lovely Diana, who is 3 years old now! (Big girl...)

Please send your suggestions, comments, bug reports (...and registrations...) to the following addresses:

Michael Dvorkin

P.O. Box 862

San Bruno, CA

94066-0862 USA

Phone: (408)733-6469

CompuServe: 73773, 2527

Internet: mid@aol.com

AmericaOnline: MiD

Home Pages on WWW

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mid

http://members.aol.com/mid