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READ.ME!
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1992-05-26
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Barn Owl Software
P.O. Box 74
O'Fallon, IL 62269
VOX: 618-632-7345
FAX: 618-632-0023
LATE-BREAKING NEWS:
Some users appreciate PCFDial's automatic popup feature to remind them how
long they've talked, but they don't want to waste disk space by keeping a
log of their calls. You can do this by telling PCFDial to go ahead and log
calls, but to use a file called "NUL.CDS". (Don't specify a path for the
file.)
PCFDial may lock up and force you to reboot the computer if you tell it to
dial from a COM port not physically installed in your computer. Many
computers have only one or two physical COM ports even though the computer
may support up to four.
We've had a report from one user whose phone system wouldn't let him pick up
after PCFDial had dialed a call. Basically, the phones themselves refuse to
let two people (in this case the user and the modem) talk on the same line
at the same time.
PC-FILE 6.x USERS: PC-File versions starting with 6.0 usually run in graphic
mode, NOT text mode, if the computer has an EGA or VGA monitor. PCFDial
can't pop up over a program running in graphic mode. PC-File does offer a
fully functional text mode option (normally for people with CGA monitors),
and you can access it in either of two ways. You can turn off graphic mode
for future PC-File sessions by removing the checkmark from the "Graphics
mode" in the configuration profile, or you can turn it off for individual
sessions with the /CHARMODE command-line option when you start PC-File.
Consult the PC-File manual for full details.
CHANGES TO THE MANUAL:
Chapter 3
Starting with version 1.05, PCFDial will not use a mouse while operating
in TSR mode.
Chapter 3.1
The section on "Customizing PCFDial" should have come under chapter 2. We
placed it in chapter 3 by accident.
Chapter 5
The last sentence in the first paragraph should read "The same hotkey also
designates the end of a call if you keep a log of calls."
ADDITIONS TO THE MANUAL:
Chapter 4.1
/L Treat all calls as local. By default, PCFDial chooses one of four
default prefixes & suffixes based on common standards for American
and Canadian phone systems. If you use PCFDial in another country,
its decision-making process may prove faulty. This option disables
the program's prefix/suffix selection logic and the Local area code
logic. It dials every number in verbatim and uses only the default
prefix and suffix for "local" phone numbers. See chapter 3.1 for
details on how to set defaults for the "local" prefix and suffix.
Alternately: you can set all of the default prefixes & suffixes to
the same values and leave the local area code field blank. It has
the same effect as the /L command-line option.
/M More call history details. PCFDial normally only keeps track of
phone numbers, not names, in its call history file. This option
tells the program to ask you for the name of the person and a small
comment whenever a call connects.
/V Highlight bar visual indicator. At least one monitor designed for
the visually impaired has no reverse-color capability, and thus the
program's highlight bar doesn't appear. This option writes a ">"
symbol in the first character position of the highlight bar. You
can optionally override the ">" symbol with any other character by
specifying it with the option, as in "/V#" or "/V@".
/_ Assume call connected. Some people want to keep a log of calls but
don't want to bother with the "Did the call connect?" query. This
option overrides the connect question and assumes you got through to
the other person.
/& Display modem dial string. When PCFDial makes a call, it displays a
message telling you to press a key after the modem has finished the
dialing sequence. This option replaces it with a message showing
the actual string of characters sent to the modem to make it dial.
But note: you still have to wait for the modem to finish the dialing
sequence before pressing a key!
Appendix B.2
"I used PCFDial with PC-File 5.0 but it stopped working when I upgraded to
version 6.0. What can I do to correct it?"
PC-File 6.0 uses graphics mode by default on computers with an EGA or
VGA monitor. Read the late-breaking news (see above) for details on how
to make PC-File run in text mode instead of graphics mode.
"I don't live in the U.S. or Canada. Can I use PCFDial?"
Certainly. Use the /L command-line option (described above) to make
the program treat all phone numbers as a "local" number. Or if you wish,
you can set all of the default prefixes & suffixes to the same values and
leave the local area code field blank. It has the same effect as the /L
option.
"PCFDial occasionally springs up on me when I know for a fact I didn't
press the hotkey. How come?"
You've encountered one of the program's most powerful capabilities: it
automatically pops up every two minutes to remind you how long you've
talked on the phone. See chapter 5 for details on this powerful function.
See chapter 3.1 for information on the "Call time remind:" data field if
you want to change the length of time or just turn it off completely.
"I left the default popup reminder at two minutes -- an even number. But
PCFDial sometimes pops up to say I've talked for an odd number of minutes.
How come?"
PCFDial waits two minutes from the instant it last popped down before
it pops up again with a reminder. The time it takes to read each message
eventually adds up to a minute, so you start to see odd-minute messages.
At some point the time to read each message may add up to two minutes and
you'll see even-minute messages again.
Appendix C.2
Many people install a modem on COM port #2 but fail to change PCFDial's
configuration to reflect it. The program accesses COM port #1 by default
and thus it never finds the modem. Make sure to set up a PCFDial configu-
ration file, or use the /1 /2 /3 /4 command-line options, so PCFDial knows
where to find your modem.