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HISTORY
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1993-02-13
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Recent Revision History
-----------------------
This file contains a list of changes to the current release and also to
several recent releases. If you have used {COMMO} before, please make sure
you are caught up on all the changes and improvements.
See the file READ.ME for important announcements and {COMMO} product
information.
------------ -----------------
{COMMO} 5.41 February 13, 1993
------------ -----------------
Bugs fixed
----------
The SSLOok would not work if a built-in variable was specified (such as
"_pas"). Now you can also send a carriage return after the variable by using
the "R" switch (see below).
The colors were not being fully restored when returning from Online Help to
the editor (if they were different).
The cancellation logic in the internal Xmodem/Ymodem protocols has been
improved. When sending, the cancel was not always being seen by the remote.
Improvements
------------
There are two new keys in the Dialing Directory window. [T] will tag (mark)
the entry under the Selector Bar. [R] will untag (unmark) the entry. In
either case the Bar will not be moved. These keys are primarily for speech
synthesizer users who will also hear the mark/unmark sounds if the state of
the entry has changed.
The SSLOok function now has a switch "R" that tells {COMMO} to send a carriage
return after sending the variable string. This is very useful if you don't
have carriage returns on your passwords in the Dialing Directory, or for
variables that are read from files.
There are two changes to the READ function:
When attempting to read past the end of file, the file will be closed and
the variable specified will be set to NULL. Control will continue in
sequence if no label was specified on the ROPEn.
The Exit Code will be set to 1 whenever the end of file is reached, 0
otherwise. The Exit Code is stored in the built-in variable "_err" and
may be tested with IFERrorlevel.
{COMMO} should work better with OS/2 and Windows now. After being pointed in
the right direction by Bob Juge, I added the necessary auto-detection and
multi-tasking calls. Ray Gwinn's SIO/VSIO replacement serial drivers in OS/2
may also make a difference in speed. Reports from anyone running under OS/2
or Windows would be appreciated.
All file saves within {COMMO} are now first written to a temporary filename.
This will ensure that the updated file can be saved before the old file is
deleted.
The speed of macro processing has been increased. This increase will be
especially noticed in macros that are "compute bound."
The Macro File now has Zmodem macros for several popular driver programs. The
proper driver is selected with a new item in the Setup File:
{set z_prog,DSZC} Zmodem driver program (DSZC/DSZE/GSZ/TXZM)
If you will be using a driver other than DSZ.COM, just change this item to
one of the selections listed.
Macro functions whose last argument is a string can now have a "," as the
first (or only) character of the string. Some examples are:
{instring abc_var,,}
{display 12,40,17,,and then}
{sslook xyz_var,,prompt}
{input in_var,,Title}
You can now look behind the pop-up menu window (press PgUp).
Online Help will now return to the same place if the same topic is brought up
on successive calls. This is especially useful when working on macros.
----------- -----------------
{COMMO} 5.4 December 19, 1992
----------- -----------------
Bugs fixed
----------
Pressing Alt-N in the Dialing Directory when no systems were marked caused an
erroneous display.
While waiting for send or receive protocols to start, no check was being made
for loss of carrier detect.
The default Terminal Screen colors were being used to clear the screen during
EXECute or Shell to DOS. The colors should be set to white on black.
ASCII Upload operated very slowly when Line Pacing and Local Echo were both
turned on.
In rare situations the Scrollback Buffer would only display the current
screen. This was related to the location of the buffer in memory.
The cursor position will now be properly restored after bottom-line messages
in the file windows. This caused problems with tracking in DESQview windows
and also for SFI users.
When SETEsc was in effect, Ctrl-Break could not be used to advance to the next
macro function.
New Features
------------
See COMMO.DOC and MACRO.DOC for more details on all new features.
1) A new macro function, MENU, can be used to create true pop-up menus. You
can use function keys F1 to F12, letter keys A to Z or number keys 1 to 9
to make selections. Take a look at the new menus in COMMO.MAC for some
examples.
2) You can now set separate colors for each of the command windows. All of
the old color keywords in the Setup File have been replaced with new
keywords, one for each window. See the included COMMO.SET and the
description of Setup File items in COMMO.DOC.
3) There is now a macro function, KEYStuff, to place key codes into the
keyboard buffer. One or more codes may be listed using the 4-digit
hexadecimal key codes (2 digit hex codes may be used for ASCII characters).
Press Alt-K in the Internal Editor to display any key code.
This function may be used prior to EXECute to automate the operation of a
program (or DOS command) that would otherwise require manual keypresses.
4) A new function, SSLOok, in the LOOKfor family, will Send a String variable
whenever a certain string is received. The syntax is:
{sslook name,string}
The variable "name" must be defined prior to using this function. I define
mine in the Setup File. These simplify macros by replacing CALOoks in many
cases. Some examples are shown in SAMPLES.MAC.
5) Another new function, OFFLog, will make an {Off} entry in the Usage Log.
It is provided for systems that do not support the carrier detect signal.
6) VT102 emulation (and ANSI-BBS) will now support auto-switching (triggered
by the host) between 80 column and 132 column modes. To use this feature
you must specify the hardware video mode number (in hex), as well as the
exact number of rows and columns. Consult your display manual or call the
manufacturer to get this information. Example: In the Setup File put
{avm=23,25,132} for ATI video boards.
Modes can also be switched with the new macro function VIDEo. {video-m1}
will set the alternate mode, {video-m0} will set the normal mode. Normal
mode is the mode that was in effect when {COMMO} was started.
7) Some new built-in variables have been added:
_pad current serial port address (03F8, 02E8, etc.)
_irq current IRQ number (4, 3, etc.)
These can now be used to pass non-standard serial port configurations to
external programs such as DSZ and HS/Link. The macros in COMMO.MAC have
been updated to reflect this. Now you only need to change the COM= item in
the Setup File.
_fmt current serial port data format (8n1, 7e1, etc.).
_dfc disk full on capture, 0=no, 1=yes
This can be tested anytime after opening a Capture File (it is set to 0 at
the open). It will indicate if the disk filled while writing to the file.
Improvements
------------
Dialing marks are now saved at all times when the Dialing Directory is written
to disk. {cdm=yes} in the Setup File will cause the marks to be cleared when
you start {COMMO} (this is equivalent to clearing the marks when saving the
file to disk). Use {cdm=no} if you want to retain the marks from session to
session. Most users will not have to change the "cdm" item.
If the telephone number field in the Dialing Directory is null {}, the
password and variables will be defined and the Linked Macro will be started.
This is convenient for systems that are sometimes dialed and sometimes
accessed on direct connections, such as mainframes. Remember that "null"
means NO characters between the braces.
Pressing Alt-X from the Dialing Directory, Macro File or Scrollback will now
execute a macro if the label {:alx} exists in the Macro File. Pressing Alt-N
in the Dialing Directory will execute a macro at the label {:aln}. These keys
may not be reassigned.
You can now scroll horizontally in all file windows (Dialing Directory,
Variable Space, etc.) without starting the editor. Use the right and left
arrow keys or F5 and F6.
An alternate Online Help file can now be specified on the command line with
the "/h" switch. Example: /hhelp.txt.
The Swap to Disk filename will now be automatically changed if a file already
exists with the same name. This will prevent swap problems when running
{COMMO} in a Shell to DOS or from multiple DESQview windows.
The duration of the BREAk function can now be set as a number of system clock
ticks (18.2 ticks per second). For example, to change the break signal from
the default of one second to one half second, enter this macro in your Macro
File: {:alb} {break-t9} {}
You can now edit the DOS command prior to execution in the EXECute Preview
window.
Speech Friendly Interface (if SFI=yes in the Setup File):
Speech synthesizer users will hear the System Name spoken when a connection
is established.
Sounds will be made when marking/unmarking entries in the Dialing
Directory.
The screen background will be cleared while any pop-up window is on the
screen. This prevents Terminal Screen data from being spoken while
reviewing any lines in the pop-up window.
In the Internal Editor:
Ctrl-Right-Arrow / Ctrl-Left-Arrow will now move to the next/previous curly
brace field and will align the field near the left edge of the screen.
You can now use Ctrl-N (or Alt-I) to insert a line and Ctrl-Y (or Alt-Y) to
delete a line. Ctrl-Y (or Alt-Y) also clears input fields.
There is now a Setup File item to start the Internal Editor in insert mode:
{edi=yes} Startup editor in insert mode (yes/no)
Xmodem and Ymodem receive timing has been relaxed a bit to allow for longer
delays on public networks and slow hosts.
The READ macro function will now truncate lines longer than 240 characters,
instead of getting the rest of the characters on the next READ.
----------- -------------
{COMMO} 5.3 June 20, 1992
----------- -------------
Bugs fixed
----------
Changes in carrier detect or CTS that occurred while a protocol driver was
running in the Shell to DOS (or EXECute) were not being seen by {COMMO}.
If the Status Line was set to "no" in the Setup File, no text would display on
the bottom line (this worked properly when the Status Line was turned off with
Alt-T or with the STATus macro function).
If the Capture Mode was switched from SCREEN to FILTER or RAW at the same time
that the Capture File name was changed (using the Capture File Options
window), the current Terminal Screen was being saved to both files. It should
not have been saved to the new file.
A workaround has been implemented for the OS/2 bug that causes the timers to
behave strangely. You should also have OS/2 configured to enable the hardware
timer.
New Features
------------
See COMMO.DOC and MACRO.DOC for more details on all new features.
1) Several new internal file transfer protocols have been added. These
include Ymodem Batch, Ymodem-G Batch and Xmodem-G. The batch protocols
allow multiple files to be sent or received. Transmitted files may be
specified with DOS wildcard characters (*,?) or listed in an indirect file
("@" file). Received files will be named automatically (the name is
supplied from the sending system).
The "G" protocols are very fast streaming versions of Xmodem and Ymodem
that may be used with error-correcting modems or on direct connections
between computers (using a "null modem" cable).
A new function switch "Y" has been added to the Xmodem (and the new Ymodem)
functions. It tells {COMMO} to force overwriting if a file being received
already exists. "Y0" (the default) will disallow overwriting.
2) Some new facilities have been added to Multi Number Dialing. These allow
you to determine more precisely the outcome of each dial operation --
successful or not. The additions include two new reserved variables: _dtc,
the termination code and _dialrt, the modem response text. See the DIAL
function in MACRO.DOC for details.
There is now a separate set of modem response strings for the inter-dial
delay. This is especially useful for recognizing a RING response (incoming
call). A macro can be defined to process this result.
A new macro function, SETDial, can be used to change the timeout values for
the dialing cycle and the inter-dial delay.
3) There is now a Swap to Disk feature. The Swap File is specified in the
Setup File. Swapping may be done on EXECute or SHELl functions by using
the "S" switch. For example: {exec-s dsz ...}.
4) You can now control the formats for the date and time. Two new Setup File
items allow you to specify the order of the month, day and year, and to
specify 12 hour or 24 hour format. For example:
{dat=mdy} Order of date parameters (m=month,d=day,y=year)
{tim=12} Time format (12/24 hour)
These will take effect anywhere the full date and time are used.
5) MULTiply and DIVIde functions have been added to the macro language. Note
that these functions and the existing macro functions INCRement and
DECRement now return the string "ERROR" if the operands or results are out
of range. This is different from previous releases and may impact your
macros.
6) DTR and RTS can now be controlled directly with the new SIGNal function.
For example, {signal-d0r1} will turn DTR off and RTS on.
7) Serial port input can now be stopped during all disk accesses. This is
necessary if characters are dropped when the disk (hard or floppy) is
accessed. The symptoms include missing characters in Capture Files and
CRC/csum errors, even on clean phone lines. If you have this problem try
setting {sld=yes} in the Setup File. This feature is effective only when
used with modems (or null modem cables) that support Hardware Flow Control
(RTS/CTS).
8) A new Setup File item under "Video and Chat Mode" allows you to configure
the graphic characters used in the display windows. These include the
box-draw characters and others. This is provided mainly for compatibility
with display boards used in certain countries. Details are in COMMO.DOC,
Setup File item {gdc=...}.
Improvements
------------
Support has been added for IRQ 8 to 15. These are specified in the Setup
File. For example: {com=3,338,10}.
The size of the String Variable Space is now configurable with a command line
switch "/v". It may be set to any value in bytes from 512 to 65535.
You can now press "T" for more time during the inter-dial delay. The timer
will be reset to its initial value just as it is with the dialing cycle timer.
The spacebar also functions in the inter-dial delay, allowing you to cycle the
dialing attempt.
Trying to close a read or write file (RCLOse, WCLOse) that is not open will no
longer produce a Macro Error (the request will be ignored).
A null path in an IFEXist function will no longer produce a Macro Error (the
not-exist branch will be taken).
Most small display windows (Capture File Options, Xmodem, dialing, etc.) have
been re-formatted to fit into 40 columns in the HP 95LX version.
----------- -------------
{COMMO} 5.2 March 7, 1992
----------- -------------
Bugs fixed
----------
In VT102 emulation, when the Terminal Screen scrolled up one line, the fill
attribute (color) of the new bottom line was the current attribute instead of
the default.
When Alt-G was pressed and there was not enough memory to edit the Setup File,
the resulting Macro Error was improperly handled.
The INPUt function prompt was speaking twice on speech boards.
Received characters were repeating and transmitted characters were being lost
on the HP 95LX (mostly at 300 and 1200 bps). This was due to the non-standard
serial port on the 95. A fix to the HP 95LX version of {COMMO} has cured the
problem.
New Features
------------
See COMMO.DOC and MACRO.DOC for details on all new features.
Translate Tables have been implemented to change any incoming character to any
other character (or ignore it) and to change any outgoing character to any
other character. These tables are supported by new items in the Setup File,
{rtr=} for receive translation and {str=} for send translation, and by the new
macro functions, RTRAn and STRAn.
You can now specify a macro to execute when carrier detect is lost. This can
be defined in the Setup File, with {ncr=}, or with the new macro function
NOCArrier. This only works when no macro is running and when no command
window is open (such as Dialing Directory, Capture File Options, etc.).
A new macro function, CALOok, similar to GOLOok, enables you to specify a
label to RETUrn to after processing. This is similar to using the PUSH
function, except that it applies to each CALOok individually. Thus you can
write:
{calook aret,aaa,Now is the time}
When the string "Now is the time" comes in, "aaa" will be CALLed with the
return location set to "aret." When "aaa" does a RETUrn, control will go
to "aret".
A new macro function, SPDCtrl (Serial Port Display Control), will prevent
incoming data from displaying to the screen. DISPlay, LOOKfor and RAW/FILTER
capture still work normally. This can be used when a "clean" display is
desired during automated procedures.
A new Terminal Emulation option is available in the HP 95LX version. "H" will
force terminal lines to wrap at 40 columns instead of 80. The emulation is
otherwise the same as TTY.
Improvements
------------
The serial port input buffer is no longer cleared following an EXECute that
was triggered by an Auto Receive string. Multiple triggering is still
disallowed until the EXECute (and any associated wait) is finished. This will
prevent information from being lost (such as the next prompt from the host
system). The entire trigger string will now appear on the screen.
The Internal Editor will no longer strip blank lines at the end of a file.
The SXMOdem handshaking has been speeded up when the receiver is ready.
In the .DOC files, control characters in strings, such as "^M", are now said
to be "converted" (to their ASCII equivalent) rather than "translated." The
word "translate" is reserved for the new Translate Table feature.
-end-