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Amiga Collections: MegaDisc
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MegaDisc 24 (1991-10)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 2 of 2).zip
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MegaDisc 24 (1991-10)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 2 of 2).adf
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TELECOMMS
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BaudBandit
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BaudBandit
Wrap
Text File
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1991-09-26
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12KB
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240 lines
BAUDBANDIT REVIEW
by
Greg Chrystal
Ed: Check this drawer for reviews of NComm and JRComm, mentioned here
by Greg.
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Although I have owned my trusty 500 for a number of years and
purchased a variety of software for it, a communications programme was
never high on my list. Their relative absence (at least on the
Australian market), coupled with the availability and quality of the
(loosely termed) PD communications programmes, left me in no great hurry
to change my priorities. However, some inconsistent performances and
the enthusiastic recommendation of a friend led me to consider
BaudBandit.
In bemoaning the lack of locally available communications programmes,
I have of course made one glaring omission. GPTerm, written by Dr Greg
Perry, is a home grown product and by all reports a quality piece of
software. Nevertheless, at around $100 it is a considerable investment
and after being able to see BaudBandit for myself, I opted in favour of
it.
COMMAND BAR
BaudBandit has several unique features which differentiate it from
most communications programmes and even most Amiga programmes. Of
these, the most noticeable feature is the total absence of pull-down
menus. Instead, BaudBandit employs a 'command bar' which is virtually
the same as the standard right mouse button menu except that no vertical
menu list appears. It also doubles as a status bar during file
transfers. A representation appears below:
Help Window -------------------------------------------------
Modem/Configuration Window ----------------------------- |
Macro/Configuration Screen ----------------------- | |
PhoneBook Screen --------------------------- | | |
Dial Next ----------------------------- | | | |
Redial ----------------------------- | | | | |
Hang Up ------------------------- | | | | | |
Break ------------------------- | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------------------------------
0:00 CHAT DL UL SEND CAPT SUS B HU RD DN PHONE MACRO MODEM HELP
---------------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | -------------- Suspend Capture
| | | | | ------------------- Text Capture
| | | | ------------------------ Text Send
| | | ---------------------------- Upload
| | ------------------------------- Download
| ----------------------------------- Chat Mode
---------------------------------------- Connect Time/Clock
Commands are issued by selecting any of the fifteen functions
displayed in the menu bar via the mouse or its keyboard equivalent,
invoked by the (left or right) Amiga key + key sequence (just like
Cygnus Ed!). Alternatively, you can select the Help window which lists,
from A - Z, most of the Amiga key functions of BaudBandit and click on
the appropriate function there. Selecting a particular function either
executes that function, for example downloading, or brings up a window
or one of BaudBandit's two support screens with further options. Herein
lies another of BaudBandit's unique, and attractive, features.
SUPPORT SCREENS
Selecting either the PhoneBook or the Macros and Configuration option
(the two support screens) brings up a screen which overlays part of the
main BaudBandit screen. Now, if you have a multisync monitor and a
flicker fixer you can take advantage of the interlace setting and
superimpose an interlace support screen on top of your main screen which
is in normal (640 x 256) resolution. This causes the supporting screen
to only cover up the bottom third of the main screen. So what's so
amazing about that? Well, for starters, it's pretty cute. However, the
advantage of this is convenience. That's because the two supporting
screens are the editing screens in BaudBandit. (But don't be mistaken,
the screens can be used in interlace mode without a flicker fixer or
multisync, or just displayed in normal resolution). Different board
configurations, scripts, macros and other features can then be directly
edited and saved without interfering with the main screen, invoking my
editor, or swapping screens. An example will suffice to illustrate this
and allow me to introduce some other features of BaudBandit.
SCRIPT PAIRS
Those familiar with calling bulletin boards know that you have to
perform a routine every time you log on - this routine can be
automated via a script language or even macros. BaudBandit uses an
implementation of a script language which it calls 'script pairs'. As
the name suggests (and the manual explains), 'a script pair is a "cause
= effect" phrase', which is enclosed by braces { }. Thus, using
BaudBandit to call a new board I can examine the log-on sequence via the
review buffer and conveniently edit a series of script pairs in the
PhoneBook screen to automate the procedure. For instance, if the
sequence was along the following lines:
Hit <ESC> twice to enter the BBS...
Enter your FULL name:
Enter your Password:
I could then create an appropriate script pair sequence while online:
{BBS...=\E\E} {name:=Greg Chrystal\r} {Password:=my password\r}
and save it. The next time I logged on, this sequence would be
executed. For those unfamiliar with the parlance of script languages
the above would send the escape code twice, insert 'Greg Chrystal'
followed by a carriage return at the first occurrence of 'name:' in the
log on sequence, and send 'my password' and a carriage return at the
prompt for password. By replacing the first brace in any script pair
with a '<', the 'effect' part of the pairing will be inserted at every
occurrence of the 'cause'. This is useful for certain prompts which
recur throughout an online session such as 'Hit <Return> to Continue' or
'Pause after each msg(Y/N)?'. Script pairs can also call other
BaudBandit functions which have an Amiga key reference (and they all
do), as well as a control character (^g for example) or BaudBandit's
special backslash commands (which can load or run anything from a keymap
or font to an ARexx macro). The PhoneBook and macro key entries are
stored in ASCII format and so are also editable outside of BaudBandit.
It may seem that my emphasis on the convenience provided by the use of
multiple screens is a rather trivial aspect belaboured, but online
efficiency is important as almost all boards impose a time limit and
some require a financial contribution as well. Furthermore, it is just
proper utilisation of the Amiga's multitasking capabilities.
REVIEW BUFFER
Like all good communications programmes, BaudBandit possesses a review
buffer. It is conveniently toggled on and off by double clicking on the
right mouse button, or a Shift plus Cursor key combination. There are a
variety of options available for use with the review buffer including
saving, printing, and cutting and pasting its contents. A particularly
appealing feature allows you to, say, set the capture file as:
COMMS:Capture.1 and the next time you attempt to save the review buffer,
the same filename will be used but incremented by one. So it would be:
COMMS:Capture.2 Also, like any window, the review buffer can be resized
via a sizing gadget.
CHAT LINE
Beloved of all chataholics is the chat line. BaudBandit has a chat
'window', which is actually part of the main screen split to provide two
areas, with the bottom section being the chat area. It is resized by
double clicking on the left mouse button above or below its present
height. The chat window is designed to work in conjunction with the
review buffer, and so selecting text in the buffer transfers it to the
chat window where it can be edited and resent. The chat window also
provides a convenient way of executing commands. Any function which has
a backslash or Amiga key sequence can be executed from the chat window,
simply by typing it in.
FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS
BaudBandit provides all of the standard file transfer protocols,
including the less common CompuServe B and WXModem.
THE MANUAL
Personally, I felt this to be the most disappointing aspect of
BaudBandit. A few bad mistakes, which could have been avoided by
conscientious proof reading, spoil an otherwise good manual. It is
somewhat disconcerting to finish reading a page and find that text seems
to be missing from the succeeding page. The manual is for version 1.00,
while the version supplied on disk is 1.50. The update doc, however,
seems somewhat terse in places and also describes a particularly
desirable feature which doesn't exist. In general, though, the manual
does an excellent job of explaining to the novice and blissfully
ignorant the world of telecommunications. Sure to be appreciated are
the glossary of commonly used and telecommunications specific terms and
the ease with which BaudBandit can be installed (no assigns necessary).
AREXX
For the more advanced users, BaudBandit offers an ARexx port and over
50 commands to be used within ARexx scripts. To my eternal shame I have
yet to purchase ARexx and if 2.0 doesn't come out shortly, I might just
run out and get it! However, a friend who is a confirmed Arexx lover
assures me that the two interact well as ARexx allows you to tailor
commands to your liking as well as overcome any deficiencies you may
perceive in BaudBandit. However, a problem seems to exist in issuing
ARexx commands from the requester which can be overcome by issuing them
from the chat window, which is quicker anyway. The power of the two
programmes combined is evident from the fact that an ARexx script has
been written (and placed into the public domain) which converts
BaudBandit into a host system; that is, a fully functioning bulletin
board with provisions for message and file bases. Four extensively
commented ARexx scripts are also included on the disk and in the manual.
OTHER FEATURES
ZModem auto receive
1,2,3 bitplanes - 2,4,8 colours respectively
Workbench, Interlace, and half-screen modes
Unlimited PhoneBook
Multiple key macro files
Ability to use an internal modems or multi serial port cards
Character masking for extended ASCII character set
Word wrap for boards which don't provide it (very rare).
CONCLUSION
I've tried to cover BaudBandit thoroughly, dwelling particularly on
features which I found to be novel or interesting. However, I've left
until last the two most compelling aspects: size and price. For all of
its features, BaudBandit is only 63K. The leading PD communications
programmes, NComm and JRComm [Ed: See this drawer for reviews] are 144K
and 166K respectively - more than twice the size of BaudBandit.
BaudBandit can also be purchased for less than $30 US dollars. This is,
in fact, the same as you would pay registering JRComm. Sure NComm
has a fully fledged script language and JRComm has SkyPix, but neither
has ARexx; NComm doesn't have a chat line and JRComm lacks any script
language whatsoever. To paraphrase a current ad, everything which is
essential and nothing which is not. Kind of appropriate, considering
the times...
BaudBandit was written by Greg Cunningham (author of DiskMaster)
NComm Version 1.92 by STorkel Lodberg (giftware)
JRComm Version 1.02A by Jack Radigan (Shareware)
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