Phoenix CD 2.0/Phoenix_CD.cdr/24b/phone1.zip/PHONE.DOC

Text File | 1988-11-25 | 13KB | 301 lines

                            Network Phone Utility
                                     and
                      Peer to Peer File Transfer Utility
                                 Version 1.0


    Features:  This utility allows two users on a network to
communicate back and forth in real time.  As one user types the
characters will appear on the other users screen and vice-versa.
     This utility also allows the transfer of files from one
workstation to another bypassing the file server's hard drive(s).  A
user can transfer a file from his/her hard disk to another user's hard
disk or from floppy to hard, etc.

    Requirements:  This program runs on a Novell LAN running
Advanced Netware version 1.0 or higher.  The workstations should be
using MS/PS DOS 3.0 or higher.

     Installation:  Copy the PHONE.EXE file to a public directory
on the network.  You will be able to type "PHONE" from the DOS prompt
anywhere and use the program.

    Running the program:  To use this utility, simply type
PHONE from any DOS prompt.  You will be presented with a menu with 5
options.

1) Phoning another user
     If you wish to call another user and chat, choose option 1,
"Phone another user".  You will then be prompted to enter the user's
name you wish to phone.  This should be the login name that the other
user logs into the network with.  The program will send a message to
all the stations that the other user is logged into and will wait for
the other user to respond.  The program times out in approximately 1-2
minutes if no response.
     When the other user responds, two windows will appear on the
screen.  The top window will be where the letters you type will appear
and the bottom window will be where the letters the other user types
will appear.  Once the windows appear simply begin typing.  Both users
can be typing at the same time.  While typing the characters will
appear on the screen.  The windows will scroll automatically.

Special keys:  The <RETURN> key is used for line advance.
               The <BACKSPACE> key is used to backup a space at a time
               and erase the previous character(s).
               The <F1> key is used to begin the SEND FILE operation.
               The <F2> key is used to begin the RECEIVE FILE
               operation.
               The <ESC> key allows you to "hang-up", or end the
               conversation.

    To hang up (end conversation), press <ESC>.  You will then need to
confirm that you wish to hang-up by pressing <RETURN>.  If you decide
not to hang-up, press <ESC> and you will be returned to the windows.








2) Answering a phone call
    When you receive a message on your workstation saying that someone
is phoning you, clear the message by pressing <CTRL><RETURN>.  If you
wish to converse with this person, type PHONE from the DOS prompt.
When you are presented with the main menu, choose option 2, "Answer a
Call from a user".  You will be asked what user is phoning you.  Type
in the other user's login name.  The other user's login name will have
been in the message sent to you.
    When a connection has been established between you and the other
user two windows will appear and you may begin typing to each other.
(See "Phoning another user" above for details on conversing.

3) Sending a file to another workstation
    There are two ways to initiate the SEND FILE procedure.  The first
method is to invoke this procedure from the main menu.  Type PHONE
from the DOS prompt and choose menu item 3, "Transfer a file".  You
will be asked what user you would like to send the file to.  Type in
the other users login name.  A message will be sent to all the
stations that the other user is logged into saying that you wish to
send him/her a file.
    This procedure does not use a time out function.  If the other
user has not responded in a reasonable time (1-3 minutes) then you may
type <ESC> to abort the procedure and return to the main menu.
    When the user does respond, you will be asked for the name of the
file to send.  You may type in a full path name, partial path name, or
just the file name if the file resides in the directory you invoked
the program from.  IE:  You called the program from c:\temp, you may
enter:     SENDFILE.TXT
           D:SENDFILE.TXT
           A:\TEMP\SENDFILE.TXT
           \TEMP2\SUBTEMP\SENDFILE.TXT, etc.
depending on where the file is that you wish to send.
     If you enter an invalid file name or any other error occurs when
the program attempts to open the file, an error message will be
displayed and you will be given the opportunity to try again.
    When the program successfully opens the file it will wait for a
"Confirm to send" from the receiving station.  You may abort from this
point if you wish by typing <ESC>.  There is a timeout funtion built
into this step.  If the other station does not respond in
approximately 1-2 minutes, you will be given a warning and asked if
you wish to continue waiting, or if you wish to abort.  When the
confirm to send is received the file will be transfered to the other
station.  You will be shown the number of bytes being sent and
notified when the transfer is complete.   When the transfer is
complete, hit <RETURN> and you will be returned to the main menu.
    The second way to transfer a file is to hit the <F1> key while in
a phone conversation with the other user.  It is a good idea to tell
the other user you wish to send him/her a file before initiating this
action, or the other user will not know you have done so.  When you
press the <F1> key you will be asked the file name.  The rest of the
procedure is identical as to what is described above except you will
be returned to the windows on completion of the transfer and you may







resume your conversation.

4) Receiving a file from another workstation
    As in transferring a file to another station, there are also 2
ways to receive a file from another workstation.  The first way is to
choose option 4 from the main menu, "Receive a file".  When you
receive a message saying that another user would like to send you a
file, clear the message by typing <CTRL><RETURN>.  Change to the drive
and directory that you would like the file to be transfered to and
from the DOS prompt, type PHONE.  When you choose option 4 from the
main menu you will be asked from whom are you receiving the file.
Type the other users login name, this will appear in the message you
receive.  The program will attempt to establish connection with the
other user.  If this takes more than 30-45 seconds you may have typed
the wrong user name, and you can abort by typing <ESC>.  You will be
returned to the main menu, where you can try again.
    When you establish a connection with the other user you will be
asked what you would like to call the file.  It is not necessary to
call the file by the same name that it is called on the other user's
drive.  You may type in just a file name if you wish the file to be
placed in the current directory, or you may type a complete drive,
path name, and file name if you wish the file to be placed in another
directory.  If you enter an invalid file name or any other error
occurs when the program attempts to create the file, an error message
will be displayed and you will be given another opportunity if you
wish.
    Once a valid file name is established the program sends a "Confirm
to send" to the sending station and the file is received.  There is a
timeout function built into the receive procedure.  If at any time a
block is not received in approximately 1-2 minutes you will be given
a warning and asked if you wish to continue attempting to receive a
block, or if you wish to abort.  While the file is being received the
number or bytes received will be displayed on the screen.   You will
be notified upon completion of the transfer and then returned to the
main menu.
    The second method for receiving a file is to press <F2> during a
conversation in the phone procedure.  You should have arranged with
the other user that this is what you are going to do or the other user
will not be aware of this.  When you press <F2>, you will be asked
what you would like to call the file.  The procedure is identical as
to what was described above, except that when the transfer is complete
you will be returned to the phone procedure and you may resume your
conversation.

5) Quit
    To leave the PHONE program, simple choose menu item 5.

Cautions
    If your network has more than one file server, both users must
have the same preferred server when the program is invoked or the user
answering the call will not be able to connect to the other user.  To
make this more clear I'll give a little lesson on Novell networks.
When you login to a file server, that is your primary server and any







other servers that you attach to are secondary servers.  When you are
on a drive that is mapped to a server, that server is your preferred
server.  If you are on a local drive, generally your primary server is
your preferred server unless you have reset your preferred server
through some application.  So what does this mean?  An example to
illustrate this point:
    User1 logins into Server1 and attaches to Server2.
    User2 does the same.
    Both users have the following drives mapped:
              F:=Server1/sys:public
              G:=Server2/sys:system
    If User1 calls the phone program from F:, it is necessary that
User2 also call the program from a drive that is mapped to Server1,
such as F:.  If User2 calls the program from G:, he/she will get an
error message saying that User1 is not the user who called.  In this
example, if both users invoke the program from a local drive, then the
program should work just fine.  (This problem will be addressed in the
next version of the program).
    You cannot abort the file transfer/receive procedures once the
file actually starts transferring.  This was done this way in order to
maximize the transfer rate.  If I had to poll the keyboard, this would
slow down the transfer.  It was my opinion that a faster transfer rate
was more important.  You have a couple of opportunities to abort the
procedure before the actual transfer begins.
    There is no error checking during the file transfer.  Again this
would have slowed the procedure down too much.  Future versions of
this program may have error checking if people desire it.
    If you ungracefully exit this program, ie: press <CTRL><BREAK>,
your connections will remain open to the other station.  This does not
cause any real harm that I am aware of, but if you call that same user
back again, the windows will immediately appear even though the other
user has not invoked the program.
    When receiving a file, the file name you enter is not checked to
see if a file with that name already exists.

Error messages
    "Invalid login name": You have entered a user name that does not
exist in the preferred server's bindery.
    "Castoff enabled or message queue full during a broadcast": When
you phone another user, or choose option 3 from the main menu, a
message is broadcast to the other user's stations.  If all of the
staions have the message queue full or the other user has typed
"CASTOFF" at all of them, the other user did not receive your message
that you called.
    "Unable to obtain logical station numbers": The function call to
obtain a users logical connections failed.  You may not have a
compatible version of Netware.
    "Not the user who called you. Try again": When you answered a call
you typed in the wrong user name as to whom is calling.
    "Other user's message queue full":  More than likely the other
user is in "File receive" mode, or has ungracefully exited from the
program.
    "No pipe connection at other end. Hang-up": The other user has







probably hung up without telling you.
    "Sorry, no answer. Try again":  When you phone another user and
the program times out, well they don't want to talk now.
    "File not found":  You have entered an invalid file name, path, or
drive while trying to send a file.
    "Path not found":  You have entered an invalid path name while
trying to send or receive a file.
    "Too many open files":  Check your config.sys file and if not
there add "FILES=20".
    "File access denied":  For some reason you don't have access to
the file your trying to send or the file name you've given a file to
receive already exists and cannot be overwritten.
    "Invalid file handle":  Try another file name.
    "Invalid file access code":  See above.
    "Disk full":  Self explanatory.
    "Other user disconnected.  Unable to complete transfer":  If
during the file transfer one user ungracefully aborts.