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Text File | 1992-05-07 | 10.9 KB | 205 lines

==================================================================== QMtoPM/REXX, Copyright 1991 Brad Berson, Psycho Psoftware Version 1.00, April 28, 1992 ==================================================================== Warranties... Warranties, Guarantees, golf tees, herbal teas, phooey. There ARE NONE!!! You use this software at your own risk. I will not be held in any way responsible for damage incurred by this software for any reason whatsoever. Period. And please, read the instructions for goodness' sakes. I hate writing documentation. Can you tell? QMtoPM began as a quick-n-dirty little utility to help me convert my Qmodem phone dialing file (QMODEM.FON) to the equivalent PMCOMM.FON file for PMcomm. Re-typing 150 entries by hand was a tedious enough task to keep me from actually making the switch from DOS to OS/2! Well, almost... Once it worked, I thought "Gee, I'm sure lots of other people are in the same dilemma." So I spent a few hours tidying up the code, adding some features, and making the conversions more comprehensive. Then I got a really bent idea and converted the original QuickBASIC code (crazy enough) into REXX (crazier still). I mean, nobody gets rich from Shareware registrations of phone directory converters, eh? So why not give 'em a program they can change to suit if necessary. Spent more tedious hours figuring out REXX workarounds for other- wise simple endeavours, blew about another hour writing this, er, documentation and here you have it. Could you care less? Fine. If you were using a communications program other than Qmodem before PMcomm, worry not. There are at least two or three utilities that convert most of the popular communications software's phone directories to the Qmodem format. You may then use QMtoPM for the translation to the PMcomm format. If you can't find the converter you need, write me about it. If you have the money, I have the time. And no pride or guilt whatsoever. If you're brave, re-write it yourself. Bored? Don't be. Watch out for a few things. Entry names longer than 20 characters will be truncated. Qmodem prefix information will have to be re-done with PMcomm's approach. There's no room for your passwords in the PMCOMM.FON file (keep reading). Scripts and their filenames will need attention (again, keep reading). PMcomm doesn't allow for notes attached to directory entries. Some xfer protocol codes may not convert (particularly Qmodem "external" protocols). If you have unusual echo/duplex settings, forget them. And this is important: Make sure your Qmodem directory has no duplicate entry names. Make each one at least slightly unique - and changing case won't help. PMcomm can't handle duplicate entry names and will promptly corrupt the newly made .FON file. If you are appending onto an already-existing PMCOMM.FON file, be especially careful of duplicates. ALWAYS BACK-UP YOUR FILES BEFOREHAND! QMtoPM will optionally create a text file with your directory entry names and respective passwords and notefile names if they exist. QMtoPM will also optionally change your script filename extensions to ".CMD", as needed by OS/2, REXX & PMcomm. QMtoPM will translate the protocol letters A (Ascii), X (Xmodem), C (Xmodem-CRC), R (Relaxed Xmodem), O (Xmodem-1K), Y (Ymodem Batch), Z (Zmodem), F (Zmodem-1K/G), G (Ymodem/G Batch), B (Compuserve CISB) and K (Kermit). All other codes will default to Xmodem. Anxiety attacks? If you try to give PMcomm duplicate dialing entry names, PMcomm will make your computer belch molten lava and summon the beast to wreak irreperable havoc upon your PMcomm data file and startup info. Feel any better now? Your Qmodem FON file can't be harmed unless your machine is possessed, but at your command a pre-existing PMCOMM.FON file will be happily and permanently obliterated. Ya' been warned. Get down to business! QMtoPM accepts everything on the command line, or will ask you for whatever you don't include. The operating syntax is as follows: QMTOPM [Qmodem.FON [PMcomm.FON]] [Y|N][T|B][A|O] Where Qmodem.FON is the full address of your Qmodem directory file (.FON is assumed), PMcomm.FON is the full address of where your PMcomm directory file is or will be (.FON is assumed, specify only if you also specified Qmodem.FON), and <Y>es or <N>o to create the password file, <T>ranslate or <B>lank out script filenames, and <A>ppend or <O>ver-write any existing PMcomm .FON file of the same name specified. Or just fire up QMtoPM (from the OS/2 command line). The first questions will be the path and file names of your Qmodem and PMcomm FON files. By default, those are QMODEM.FON and PMCOMM.FON in the current directory. Press the "Return" key to accept each default, or type in the paths only (include a trailing backslash, for example "\TURD\TOILET\"), or type in the full path\filename (for example "D:\SEWAGE\TREATMNT\FORBNYUK.FON"), followed by the "Return" key. The name of the password file will follow the name of the PMcomm .FON file and end with ".PWD". The last three questions each take single-character answers (plus the "Return" key). Possible answers are in <> brackets. You will be asked if you want a password list to be created from the password field in Qmodem. If you used that field in Qmodem you will want to answer "Y". The file PMCOMM.PWD will be created. You will then be asked how you want to handle the script names in Qmodem's script field. If you never entered anything here, it doesn't matter how you answer. If you have or will be converting your scripts for PMcomm/REXX, QMtoPM can change all the script filenames to end with ".CMD". The other option is to leave all the script names blank. Then QMtoPM will ask you if you want to over-write (obliterate) the original PMCOMM.FON file (if it exists), or to append the Qmodem records to whatever existed in the PMCOMM.FON file already. This is useful if you kept several Qmodem FON files due to the 200-entry limitation. Remember not to make any duplicate entry names when appending new .FON files!!! Errata... There's almost no error checking. Tough. Write your own. Not much can happen unless you mis-type a filename or answer "Overwrite" when you really meant "Append". If you can't be trusted to avoid duplicate dialing entry names, you probably couldn't have read this text by yourself anyway. Make backups of your .FON files in case you missed a duplicate entry. The only known anomoly (sort of), is encountered when over-writing a PMCOMM.FON file with a smaller PMCOMM.FON file. The file will be the original, larger size. REXX is unable to truncate a file and I didn't like the way "ADDRESS CMD 'DEL PMCOMM.FON'" looked. This is harmless, as PMcomm uses a blank last record to detect end-of-file. The first time you load the file and then press the "SAVE" button in PMcomm, the file size will be corrected. Multiple runs of QMtoPM will append password data to the password file, when that feature is selected with the "Y" switch. Under no circumstances will it be over-written in that case. You may specify the "Y" switch even if no previous .FON file exists. You may feel safer using QMtoPM in this manner. The password file will have a heading. That heading by default only appears once, but can be requested for every (n) lines by editing the "maxlines" variable near the beginning of the program. Useless details. At least to some. But I'll discuss the coding anyway. BRQM breaks the Qmodem records into straight REXX text and numeric variables. It uses C2D (REXX) for numeric conversions and TP2R (mine) for the text. The main record-reading loop does all the conversions into PMcomm's format using D2C (REXX) for numeric conversions and R2CS (mine) for text. The dual-conversions make debugging easier with negligable effect on speed. PUPM concatenates those conversions into one record and writes the record. PRLI formats and writes the records to the password/note file. LFHD prints the password file headings and can be used every n lines by setting the "maxlines" variable as needed. The main loop puts nuls (blanks) into PMcomm fields which have no equivalent in Qmodem, set the PMcomm prefix numbers to "1" (the PMcomm default), converts script filenames to *.CMD or blanks them out, translates protocol codes as best as it can, translates the TPASCAL time to CTIME mathematically and does straightforward conversions of the rest. Begging? Nah, but I should know better. This software is distributed under the Shareware premise. That is, if it worked, and you're satisfied with and using the results of it, you're obligated to pay for it under the terms of the following license agreement. If you are using this in a commercial setting, you WILL pay a modest sum for my efforts. Non-commercial users are allowed free use but are encouraged to heed their terrible feelings of guilt and loyalty every time they open their checkbooks. Send enough to ease your guilt without insulting me. Commercial licensing is a paltry $10 per copy, with site license and network discounts for over 100 copies (20% per 100 copies). The single commercial license allows use of one copy of this software on one machine at one time. Backup copies are encouraged. Technical support can be had through the Compuserve Information Service, the OS/2 conferences on Ilink and SmartNet and via the Multi-Net BBS (see the PMcomm documentation). Urgent (!) questions can phone or FAX but you're unlikely to be able to reach me directly. It's your dime... Warning! Violation of the license agreement is illegal and immoral. Those who perpetrate this heinous crime will be afflicted by the powers that be, such that their genitalia will turn black and fall off or fuse closed. Continued violations will result in the most unsightly failure of the perpetrator's digestive system. "Your love gives me such a thrill, but it won't pay my bills..." Brad Berson Psycho Psoftware #2 Chaparral Road Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 (212) 887-4216 voice (212) 887-2154 FAX CIS: 71631,132 The end.