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1991-11-09
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CatCalls Version 2.1b
Your COMPLETE Dialing Companion
For Calling Wildcat!
Bulletin Boards
Copyright (C) 1991 by Leonard Gray
CONTENTS
Introduction ............................ i
Registration ............................ ii
1. Concepts and Overview ..................... 1
2. Installation .............................. 2
3. Local Processing Options .................. 2
3.1 The Main Menu ........................ 3
3.2 Extended BBS Definition .............. 4
3.3 Agenda Definition .................... 10
3.4 Begin Your Dialing Agenda ............ 13
3.5 Calling Log Processing ............... 13
3.6 Configure CatCalls Settings .......... 14
3.7 Miscellaneous Local Options .......... 17
4. Remote Processing Options ................. 18
5. CCAUTO .................................... 20
6. External Configuration Files .............. 21
Acknowledgements ............................. 24
i
INTRODUCTION
Thanks for taking a look at CatCalls, a Telix SALT script that will
help you call, login, upload files, download files, and even
perform offline mail processing functions with any Wildcat!
Bulletin Board System.
A little over a year ago, I had an opportunity to start a Bulletin
Board Service for my company. In looking for BBS Software, I found
Wildcat! to be the most comprehensive product on the market. The
added "attraction" of the TomCat offline Mail product made the
choice of software very easy.
I also found Telix and its powerful SALT script language to be
superior products as far as terminal communications are concerned.
After "poking" around on the keyboard for about a year, and ALWAYS
doing the same thing each time I called, I thought "Wouldn't it be
nice if I could let all of this run without ME!". I checked around
and there were a few third party utilities that would automate
these dialing routines, but almost ALL of them were for use with
PCBoard BBS's. What about the boards WE like to call?
Thus, the birth of CatCalls. I realize that this product MAY not
be for everyone, but if you like to "get in, get your stuff, and
get off" CatCalls will fit the bill nicely.
Starting with version 1.1, a companion script (CCAUTO.SLC) is
included in this archive. CCAUTO allows CatCalls dialing routines
to run without any operator intervention, making it ideal for BBS's
"event" processing.
NOTE: CCAUTO is non-functional in unregistered versions. Please
see Chapter 4 for details.
DISCLAIMER
Leonard Gray makes no warranty of any kind, either express or
implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with
respect to this software and accompanying documentation.
IN NO EVENT SHALL LEONARD GRAY BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY
LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS
PRODUCT, EVEN IF LEONARD GRAY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
ii
REGISTRATION
You are encouraged to use CatCalls for a period of 30 days on a
trial basis. If you find CatCalls an essential part of your life,
you are likewise encouraged to send the outrageous Registration Fee
of $10.00 to:
Leonard Gray
217 Palmetto Drive
Martinez, GA 30907-9320
Please "play fair" and register your copy!
I have a considerable amount of time and effort invested in this
product, and have released the Shareware version as fully
functional. A simple registration form has been included in this
archive.
Registration will "unlock" the CCAUTO script allowing completely
unattended processing.
When you register, your personalized CATCALLS.KEY file will be
uploaded to either of the BBS's listed in REGISTER.FRM for you to
download. For an additional postage and handling fee, I will gladly
mail your CATCALLS.KEY file on diskette.
You will always find the most recent version of Catcalls on the
following Wildcat! Bulletin Boards:
ZARNO Board BBS - Martinez, GA (404) 860-2927 HST/V32.bis
The Center Line - Richland Center, WI (608) 647-7329 HST/V32.bis
The B-Line - Muncie, IN (317) 288-5569 HST/V32.bis
Madmen & Maniacs- Martinez, GA (404) 860-5781 HST
Support questions and comments are welcomed. Drop a note on any
one of the above three Bulletin Boards, or send them to ->ZARNO
through the RIME network. I monitor the Wildcat! and Telix
conferences on this network.
You can also leave support questions or comments in the CatCalls
conference carried on the WILDNET network.
SUPPORT YOUR SYSOP
Please remember the continuous efforts of your SYSOP and call upon
his or her expertise in case you have any questions about the use
of their system. Without the SYSOP's of the world, there would be
no use for CatCalls (or BBS'ing in general) so please try to make
their job easier by supporting them in whatever way you can.
1
1. CONCEPTS AND OVERVIEW
CatCalls is a Telix SALT script that will automate all of your
routine dialing functions when calling Wildcat! Bulletin Board
systems.
This automation requires you to establish several parameters on
your PC before actually dialing these bulletin boards.
These parameters are divided into 3 major sections, which are
discussed individually in their respective chapters in this
document:
Extended BBS Definition:
This section will allow you to define parameters specific
to each Wildcat! BBS in your Telix dialing directory. Since
every Wildcat! BBS you call will not necessarily be run the
same, these parameters are vital to CatCalls' operation.
Dialing Agenda Definition:
Once you have defined the Extended BBS Parameters, you will
then be ready to tell CatCalls what to do on each call. The
current processing options for each call are:
- Send Mail to the TomCat Mail Door
- Receive Mail from the TomCat Mail Door
- Upload Files (5 per session maximum)
- Download Files (5 per session maximum)
- Make a Time Bank withdrawal
- Make a Time Bank deposit
You may set any combination of these options for each BBS you
have defined in the Extended BBS Entries.
User Configuration:
The options in the User Configuration will allow you to
tailor CatCalls to function the way YOU want it to! There
are also items in the user configuration that will be used
during the dialing agenda to verify your identity on each
BBS that should be the same on every board you call.
Once all of the parameters have been set up, it is a simple matter
of a few keystrokes to have CatCalls dial all of the BBS's you have
set up to call, and carry out all of your pre-defined commands with
no intervention on your part.
2
2. INSTALLATION
To install CatCalls on your system, simply copy the files
CATCALLS.SLC, CCHELP.SLC, and CCAUTO.SLC to your Telix script
directory. Please note that CCAUTO is non-functional unless you
have registered, but once you register, the script will already be
in its proper location. I have also included the script "NONE.SLC"
that you may want to use to prevent the Telix "Connected..Press Any
Key" message from being displayed upon connection with any BBS.
See Chapter 3 - Local processing options for details.
Starting with version 2.1, you must also copy the files
CATCALLS.WC2 and CATCALLS.WC3 to your Telix "home" directory. For
an explanation of these two files, consult Chapter 6 - External
Configuration Files.
Once you register CatCalls, you will receive a file named
CATCALLS.KEY. When you receive this file, copy it into your Telix
"home" directory, NOT the script directory.
You may start CatCalls in one of two ways. The first way involves
invoking CatCalls from the DOS command line by typing:
TELIX Scatcalls
Alternatively, you may invoke CatCalls while already in Telix by
pressing ALT-G (to start a script), then entering "CATCALLS" as the
name of the script to start.
The very first time you run CatCalls, two critical data files
("CATCALLS.FON" and "CATCALLS.USR") will be created in your Telix
home directory. The CATCALLS.FON file will contain all of your BBS
specific "extended" information. The file CATCALLS.USR contains
your local user configuration information.
Also, on its first use, CatCalls will automatically place you in
the User Configuration Screen. See chapter 3.6 for details of the
processing options on this screen.
Please notice that context sensitive help is available from almost
everywhere while in CatCalls, by pressing the F1 key.
3
3. LOCAL PROCESSING OPTIONS
3.1 The Main Menu
The Main Menu will help "direct" you to different processing
sections available in the script.
Either four or five selections will be shown on the Main Menu,
depending on how you have your User Configuration Options set.
There are several methods of making a selection from the Main Menu.
You may use the up and down arrows on your keyboard to move the
highlight bar to the desired menu item. Once the highlight bar is
located on the item you want to select, press the enter key to make
that selection.
The other methods of making menu selections involve a "direct" menu
selection, or keystroke. To make a menu selection using this
method, simply press one of the following keys:
"E" or <F2> to select "Extended Directory Maintenance"
"D" or <F3> to select "Define Your Dialing Agenda"
"B" or <F4> to select "Begin Your Dialing Agenda"
"L" or <F5> to select "Calling Log Processing"
"C" or ALT-C to select "Configure CatCalls Settings"
"T" or <Esc> to select "Terminate CatCalls"
You may also press <F1> for summarized help of the Main Menu
Processing options.
Each of these menu processing options are discussed in detail in
the following chapters.
4
3.2 Extended BBS Definition
This section of CatCalls is necessary to define all of the
processing options for each Wildcat! BBS that you will be calling.
One of the nicer features of Wildcat! (from a Sysop's point of
view) is the ability to customize the "prompts", or the keys the
caller must press to carry out a certain function. This DOES
present the problem, however, in automating processing for CatCalls
in that no one Wildcat! BBS you call may require the same
keystrokes.
Because of this unique feature of Wildcat!, you must establish
these BBS specific "extensions" to your Telix directory. I am
including a sample "data entry" form to help you record this
information in case you don't remember every key you press each
time you call your Wildcat! boards.
A WORD OF WARNING!
Once you have defined your extended entries, DO NOT use any of the
third party utilities that may sort your Telix dialing directory.
You should also avoid inserting any new entries in the "middle" of
your dialing directory.
Doing so will "disassociate" the extended entries from the Telix
directory, and you will have to enter ALL of the extended entries
again.
Once you have selected Extended BBS Definition from the Main Menu,
a list of all your Telix dialing entries will be displayed. Use
your up and down arrows and position the highlight bar on the BBS
that you want to define. Press enter to select the BBS, or <Esc>
to return to the Main Menu. You may also press the F1 key for
help.
After you have selected the BBS that you want to define the
extended entries for, the Extended Definition Screen will be
displayed. The following describes each of the fields located on
this screen.
Once the Extended Definition Window is displayed, use the <Enter>
key to move from field to field, and <Esc> to save the information
and "close" the extended definition window. Individual field help
is also available by pressing the F1 key.
5
Logon Name:
-----------
Enter the name that you use to log on to this BBS. In the event
you use different identities on several BBS's, you can enter each
different name for each Extended entry.
One feature of Wildcat! 3.0 is called the "Fast Logon". This
option, if allowed by the Sysop, will let you bypass all of the
opening "Hello" screens and proceed directly to the systems Main
Menu. To utilize this feature from within CatCalls, enter your
Logon Name as:
*FIRST LAST PASSWORD
including the asterisk. You SHOULD check with your Sysop before
attempting this, as he/she may not have this feature enabled.
Hotkeys Enabled?:
-----------------
When you first logged on to your Wildcat! BBS, you were asked if
you wanted to use Hotkeys. Answer this question the same as you did
when you logged on to the BBS (unless you've changed it since
then).
If you are not sure about how you have this "configured"on the BBS
side, first ask yourself: "Do I have to press the <Enter> key every
time I make a menu selection at the BBS?". If your answer (to
yourself) is "No", then the answer to this question is "Y". If you
are not sure, answer this question "Y" and you can easily change
this on the BBS end during a "non-CatCalls" session.
Use Netmail Processing?:
------------------------
Selecting a "Y" in this option will reverse the "normal" processing
CatCalls uses when procesing TomCat Mail. A "Y" here will cause
new mail to be downloaded first, with outgoing replies uploaded
last. When the replies have been uploaded, CatCalls will HANG UP
THE MODEM immediately! This is very useful for Sysops that make
nightly long distance calls to process their usually LARGE mail
packets. If you are not transferring Netmail, you may want to
leave this option set to "N", as it will cause a "dropped carrier"
condition, which some Sysops "frown" upon.
6
Wildcat Transfer Protocol:
--------------------------
In the event that you haven't already "pre-selected" a file
transfer protocol for Wildcat! to use, Wildcat! asks you which
protocol to use to perform file transfers.
Enter the letter of the protocol you want to use for Wildcat!
to perform file uploads and downloads.
NOTE: This is the "call letter" that is established on the
BBS's end for file transfers.
TomCat Transfer Protocol:
-------------------------
In the event that you haven't already "pre-selected" a file
transfer protocol in the TomCat door, TomCat asks you which
protocol to use to perform a file transfer.
Enter the letter of the protocol you want to use for TomCat
file transfers.
NOTE (Again): This is the "call letter" that is established on the
BBS's end for TomCat File Transfers.
TomCat 'Node' ID:
-----------------
For those of you that are already using the TomCat offline mail
door, you already know what goes here. This is the name used for
this BBS's ".QWK" and ".REP" packets.
For those of you not familiar with TomCat and offline message
reading, I strongly urge you to check it out (provided your SYSOP
provides that service). There is an abundance of information to
be found in the message areas of a BBS, and HUNDREDS of interesting
people you can "meet" and converse with through the message areas.
(Back off the soapbox)
If you are not interested in using TomCat or your BBS does not
offer it, "make up" an (up to) eight character name, and enter it
under the Tomcat 'NODE' ID. Failure to fill this field in will
cause unpredictable (and uncorrectable) results.
7
Wildcat Release (2/3):
----------------------
This entry determines what version of the Wildcat BBS system the
Sysop of this BBS is running. It is important to enter this field
accurately, as many of the prompts CatCalls has to look for are
VERY different between Release 2.xx and 3.0 of Wildcat. If you are
unsure of this, ask your Sysop.
Many of the remaining items on the Extended Definitions Window ask
for prompts. In CatCalls' domain, a prompt is the key you must
press to perform a specific function on this BBS.
For the items listed below with a "Prompt" as the description, you
can substitute "What key do I have to press ..." for "prompt" in
almost all circumstances.
To Get To Message Menu:
-----------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to this BBS in order
to access the Message Menu.
If this BBS does not offer access to the TomCat Mail Door from the
message menu (or you don't intend to use the mail door), leave this
field blank.
To Get To File Menu:
--------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to this BBS in order
to access the File Menu.
To Get To Doors Menu:
---------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to this BBS in order
to access the Doors Menu.
This prompt controls access to the Time Door, as well as access to
TomCat from the Doors Menu.
If this BBS offers access to TomCat BOTH from the Message Menu AND
the Doors Menu, use the "entrance" from the Message Menu. It is
much quicker and easier.
If you do not plan to use the TomCat Door or the Time Door you may
leave this field blank.
8
To Back Up To Main Menu:
------------------------
This field is for the prompt that CatCalls should send to this BBS
to return to the Main Menu from the File Menu.
You really don't have to enter this field unless you want to (or
have to) use the TomCat Mail Door from the BBS's Doors Menu.
To TomCat From Message Menu:
----------------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to this BBS in order
to access the TomCat Mail Door From the Message Menu.
To Perform File Download:
-------------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to the BBS to
initiate a file Download session.
To Perform File Upload:
-----------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to the BBS to
initiate a file Upload session.
Upload File Area:
-----------------
Some of the Wildcat! boards you call may have more than one file
area established that you are allowed to upload to. If this is
the case with this BBS, enter the file area (denoted by a letter
A-Z) that you want your uploads placed into.
PLEASE NOTE: If you specify a file area that you are not allowed
access to, your Sysop may (at their discretion) set
your system security level to housefly and never let
you upload again. Please check with your Sysop if
you are unsure what file areas you have "upload
access" to.
To Get to Message From File:
----------------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to the BBS in order
to move from the Files menu to the Message menu.
9
To Join a Conference:
---------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to the BBS in order
to Join a Conference. This prompt ONLY applies to Wildcat! 3.0
Boards.
To Say Goodbye and Log Off:
---------------------------
Enter the keystroke that CatCalls should send to the BBS in order
to log off the BBS. Although this is usually configured to a "G"
on most BBS's, it IS configurable by the Sysop and may NOT be a
"G".
TomCat Door Number:
-------------------
Enter the keystroke (usually a number) that CatCalls should send
to this BBS to access the TomCat Mail Door from the Doors Menu.
NOTE: Leave this field blank if you will be accessing TomCat from
the BBS's message menu.
Time Door Number:
-----------------
Enter the door number of The Time Door. The ONLY Time Door that
is supported is Bill Bolden's Time Door, which is an overall
favorite among Wildcat! Sysops. Entering a number in this field
will activate Time Door Options on the Agenda Definition Screen.
Telix Protocol For Wildcat:
---------------------------
Enter the "call letter" of the Telix protocol you want to use
to perform file uploads and downloads with Wildcat!. All of Telix's
internal and external protocols are supported.
Telix Protocol For TomCat:
--------------------------
Enter the "call letter" of the Telix protocol you want to use
to perform TomCat Mail Transfers. All of Telix's internal and
external protocols are supported.
10
Delete .QWK Packets Prior to DL?:
---------------------------------
If you are going to use the TomCat Mail door, you will be receiving
files from the BBS with the extension ".QWK". This question asks
whether or not to delete the old '.QWK' packet (from a previous
mail run) prior to downloading the next one.
If you answer this question "N", make sure the file transfer
protocol you use for file downloads is capable of either
overwriting the file, or generating a file extension different from
the existing file (in other words, turn Zmodem Crash Recovery OFF).
Delete .REP Packets After UL?:
------------------------------
If you are going to use the TomCat Mail door, your outgoing mail
packets will have the file extension ".REP". This question asks
whether or not to delete the .REP packet after it has been
uploaded.
Do your Sysop and yourself a favor, and always answer this "Y".
Doing so will ensure you don't accidentally re-send some old mail.
Maximum Redial Attempts:
------------------------
Here, you can specify how many times CatCalls will attempt a
connection with this BBS during any one dialing session. This is
especially handy for those "busy almost all of the time" boards!
3.3 Agenda Definition
After you've set up all of the WildCat! boards in the extended
definition screens, you're ready to tell CatCalls which ones to
call and what to do when it calls.
Once you have selected Agenda Definition from the Main Menu, a list
of all your Telix dialing entries will be displayed. Use your up
and down arrows and position the highlight bar on the BBS that you
want to define. Press enter to select the BBS, or <Esc> to return
to the Main Menu. You may also press the F1 key for help.
If you would like to review the agenda you have currently defined,
press an "L" here.
11
After you have selected the BBS that you want to define the agenda
for, the Agenda Definition Window will be displayed. The following
describes each of the fields located on this screen.
Once the Agenda Definition Window is displayed, use the <Enter>
key to move from field to field, and <Esc> to save the information
and "close" the Agenda Definition window.
Since most of the fields on this window are simple "Y" for yes and
"N" for no questions, individual field help is NOT available here.
Call This BBS?:
---------------
Enter a "Y" to include a call to this BBS as part of your dialing
agenda. If "N" is entered here, the window will be closed and you
will be returned to the BBS selection Menu.
Send TomCat Mail?
-----------------
Enter a "Y" to send a ".REP" packet through the TomCat mail Door,
or a "N" NOT to send any mail. Please note that CatCalls will
first check this setting and will ALSO check for the existence of
the .REP packet on your system prior to attempting any mail upload.
Receive TomCat Mail?:
---------------------
Enter a "Y" to receive (or download) new mail from the TomCat door.
Setting this field to a "N" would allow you to send a ".REP" packet
(previous option) without downloading any new mail.
Download Any Files?:
--------------------
Enter a "Y" to specify you want to download any files from this
BBS during this call. By entering a "Y", you will receive a "pop-
up" window that will allow you to define up to 5 files to download.
12
Upload Any Files?:
------------------
Enter a "Y" to specify you want to upload any files to this BBS
during this agenda. By entering a "Y", you will receive a "pop-
up" window that will allow you to define up to 5 files to upload.
When you enter the name of each file to upload, CatCalls will
verify the existence of the named file in your Telix Upload
directory. You may NOT use wildcard characters ("*" or ".*") when
entering file names.
After you have entered each file name, you will be able to enter
a description of the file. The length of the file descriptions
depends on the version of Wildcat! this BBS is using (defined in
Extended BBS Definition).
Wildcat! 3.0 BBS's have the ability to enter detail descriptions
of file uploads. CatCalls will allow you to use up to 5 lines of
the detail description, although it is not mandatory.
Time Door Deposit:
------------------
Enter the number of minutes you would like to deposit through the
Time Bank door during this call. This field will be bypassed if
you have not defined a Time Door Number in the Extended BBS
Definition for this BBS.
Time Door Withdrawal:
---------------------
Enter the number of minutes you would like to withdraw through the
Time Bank door during this call. This field will be bypassed if
you have not defined a Time Door Number in the Extended BBS
Definition for this BBS.
SPECIAL NOTE / WARNING
----------------------
When using the Time Door feature, be forewarned that CatCalls will
visit the Time Bank BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE IS DONE!
This means that if you deposit your entire daily time balance, you
will have NO TIME to perform any other processing functions. On
the other hand, this will allow you to withdraw EXTRA time in case
your agenda includes downloading an especially LARGE file.
Please exercise caution and good judgement when selecting the
amounts to deposit or withdraw from the Time Bank.
13
Reset When Completed:
---------------------
Setting this field to a "Y" will cause CatCalls to automatically
reset the "Call this BBS" field to a "N" after the call to this BBS
is completed. This will help in the event you don't successfully
complete calls to ALL of the BBS's defined in your agenda and need
to restart the agenda at a later time. If you set this field to
a "N", CatCalls will leave the "Call this BBS" field as a "Y" once
the call has been completed.
3.4 Begin Your Dialing Agenda
Now that you have defined exactly which BBS's to call, what to do,
and how to do it, all that is left to do...
...is to DO IT!
Once you have selected Begin Your Dialing Agenda from the Main
Menu, you will be shown the Timed Execution Screen. On this
screen, enter "N" to start your dialing agenda Now, or "L" to
schedule the agenda for later. You may also press <Esc> to return
to the Main Menu in the event you have made this selection in
error.
If you choose to run your Agenda at a later time, enter the hour
and minute you want CatCalls to Begin. Remember to use "military"
time format for the hour (00 = midnight, 12 = noon, 18 = 6 p.m.).
CatCalls will pause until the specified time unless you press
escape to cancel the delay.
3.5 Calling Log Processing
This menu option will only be shown if you have selected to
activate the Calling Log from the User Configuration Screen.
Once selected, you will be given the option to first "View" the
calling log. This viewing process will display your CatCalls
Calling Log using the "List" program that you have specified in the
User Configuration.
Your second option will be whether or not to purge the log. Once
you have viewed the log, you may want to clear it out so as not to
look at "old news".
14
3.6 Configure CatCalls Settings
The user configuration window is where you define constants that
SHOULD NOT change from BBS to BBS, as well as several local options
that you may define for your particular needs.
Once the User Configuration Window is displayed, use the <Enter>
key to move from field to field, and <Esc> to save the information
and "close" the extended definition window. Individual field help
is also available by pressing the F1 key.
International Formats:
----------------------
The International Formats, when answered "Y" will allow the 13
character phone number to be entered. U.S. and Canadian users
should be able to answer this as "N".
Your Birth Date:
----------------
Enter your birthdate here. Six digits are required, two each for
month, day and year. Any combination of MMDDYY, YYMMDD, DDMMYY is
acceptable. Just remember, no slashes ("/") or dashes ("-") please.
When you first log on to a Wildcat! BBS, you are asked for your
birthdate. Wildcat! may perform security checks from time to time
by asking what your birthdate is. If this happens, CatCalls will
send this date to Wildcat!.
Your Telephone Number:
----------------------
Enter your phone number formatted as AAAEEENNNN (where AAA=area
code, EEE=your phone exchange, and NNNN=well, the last four
digits!). Once again, use no dashes in the number.
The format outlined above is STRICTLY for "non-international"
callers. If you have set the "International Formats" to a "Y",
you're on your own to enter your format, as I have NO IDEA what the
format for overseas phone numbers is!
Wildcat! may ask this phone number from time to time, once again
as a security check.
15
Calling Log: Activate?
----------------------
Enter a "Y" to activate the Calling Log. This will keep track of
all calls made using CatCalls, and all processing performed during
those calls.
List Program:
-------------
If you have activated the calling log, you will need to specify the
name of the program used to display the calling log when Calling
Log Processing is selected from the main menu. A good example is
Buerg's LIST.COM.
Any "list" program that accepts the file name as a command line
argument will suffice.
Run Silent, Run Deep:
---------------------
This is perhaps a frivolous name for a very handy option of
CatCalls. If answered "Y", this will activate a silent mode of
operation during your agenda. Rather than displaying all of the
BBS's menus and screens during your call, CatCalls will give you
progress reports on the screen of your current call. This option
will also prevent any "beeps" that the BBS may send to your PC,
making this an ideal option for unattended late night processing.
IT IS IMPERATIVE that you turn the Color Menus OFF on each of the
BBS's before using RSRD. Failure to do so will cause your agenda
(and your Sysop's Bulletin Board) to lock up.
Exit Option:
------------
Enter a "D" to exit to DOS when you select Terminate CatCalls from
the Main Menu, or "T" to exit to Telix.
16
Dialing Sequence:
-----------------
CatCalls provides two dialing methods when making calls to BBS's.
These two options, "S" for sequential and "B" for back-to-back,
basically handle calls to busy phone numbers differently. In the
sequential mode, if a busy signal is detected on one BBS, the next
BBS in your agenda will be dialed. This cycle will continue until
either a connection is made with all of the BBS's in your agenda,
or once the maximum redial attempts have been reached.
The back-to-back method will attempt a connection with a busy
number, until either a connection is made or the maximum redial
attempts have been reached, before attempting the next number in
your dialing agenda.
Download Mail Path:
-------------------
Enter the full drive and directory path you want CatCalls to
place your incoming (.QWK) mail packets.
Upload Mail Path:
-----------------
Enter the full drive and directory path where CatCalls can find
your outgoing (.REP) mail packets.
Full Drive, Path, and Extension of Dialing Directory:
-----------------------------------------------------
If you want to set up (through Telix) a separate Dialing directory
to "isolate" your Wildcat! BBS entries, enter the drive, path,
name, and extension of that dialing directory. (Check your Telix
documentation on how to create a new dialing directory).
CatCalls will load and use the dialing directory specified here
when processing any of it's calls.
The default entry here is "TELIX.FON" which should be your default
dialing directory.
CatCalls will reload the "TELIX.FON" dialing directory after you
select Terminate CatCalls from the Main Menu.
17
3.7 Miscellaneous Local Options
There are two configurable items in your Telix Dialing directory
that should be set to ensure "smooth" operations of CatCalls.
Both items can be found and entered by editing each Wildcat! entry
in your Telix Dialing Directory. From Telix (not in the CatCalls
script), press ALT-D, highlight each Wildcat BBS entry that you
will be calling with CatCalls, and press "E" to Edit that Entry.
Linked Script:
--------------
If this field is blank, you may enter "NONE" (leave the quotes out)
to prevent Telix from displaying the "Connected...press any key"
message and beeping whenever a connection is made. The "do
nothing" script "NONE.SLC" has been included in this version of
CatCalls for this purpose.
Password:
---------
You MUST supply the password you use on this BBS either here, or
as part of your Logon Name in the Extended BBS Definition.
Remember though, if you enter your password as part of your logon
name, anyone that may be visiting your Sysop's house will be able
to see your password as you are logging on. If you enter your
password here, and not as part of your logon name, the password
will be "masked" with asterisks as you log in.
18
4. REMOTE PROCESSING OPTIONS
Options listed in this section refer to those options you are able
to establish on each BBS system for your specific needs. Many of
the options here will simply help optimize the performance of
CatCalls, however some of these options MUST be set in order for
CatCalls to function properly.
Your Help Level:
----------------
Wildcat! allows you to specify which level of Menu Help you need
when you call. This level determines which type of menus you will
receive when you call. Most callers will have this level set to
"N" for novice menus. Novice menus give you full descriptions of
each menu option. Often, these novice menus will be very elaborate
ANSI color menus designed by your Sysop.
CatCalls requires some consistency in the menus in order to carry
out its "appointed rounds". Because of this requirement, you MUST
set your help level to "R" for regular menus. This setting will
cause Wildcat! to generate a one line "standard" menu that can be
recognized by the script.
Hotkeys:
--------
Hotkeys are a method of entering commands (to Wildcat) without
having to press <Enter> after each command. CatCalls is capable
of functioning with or without Hotkeys enabled, but it is important
that the settings on the BBS and in the Extended Directory are the
same. Setting Hotkeys "on" (or to "Y") will actually provide
better performance.
NOTE: Since this version of CatCalls is being released prior to
completion of Wildcat! and TomCat 3.0, an important
note for these two products.
During testing, inconsistencies have been found utilizing
Hotkeys with the Release 3.0 products. Due to these
inconsistencies, it is recommended that you turn Hotkeys OFF
when calling any Wildcat! 3.0 boards.
19
Color Menus:
------------
ANSI color certainly adds flair to a Bulletin Board, however the
color also causes about 3 times as many characters to be sent over
the phone line as non-color. If you plan to use the "Run Silent,
Run Deep" option of CatCalls, it is MANDATORY to turn the color
menus OFF from the BBS's end. If you do not plan to use RSRD, you
may leave color turned on, but realize the color displays are
actually slowing your calls down.
Default File Transfer Protocols:
--------------------------------
You have the option to set a Default File transfer protocol both
in Wildcat! and in the TomCat Mail Door. It is not necessary to
set these options on the BBS, as CatCalls will request the transfer
protocols you supply in the Extended Directory Maintenance screen,
but setting these defaults will speed your file uploads and
downloads (as well as mail transfers) a little.
Please avoid using XMODEM (or any of its derivatives) and BI-MODEM
for any file transfers. These protocols may not work with
CatCalls. All other Telix/Wildcat compatible protocols should
work.
Default Packer (Archiver):
--------------------------
This option identifies, to the TomCat Mail door, which Archive
utility to use when compressing your Mail Packets. CatCalls can
NOT make this determination for you. It is MANDATORY that you
select this default from the TomCat Configuration menu before
attempting any mail transfers using CatCalls.
Default Quit Option:
--------------------
This option is also specific to the TomCat Mail Door. It specifies
whether you want to: "Y" = Always Receive This Packet, "G" =
Receive this Packet and Automatically log off, or " " (blank) = Let
you Decide Each time.
As a time saving option, don't set this option to "G" as it will
add an extra 10 seconds to your call.
20
Default Editor: (Wildcat! 3.0 ONLY)
---------------
Although with CatCalls, you probably won't be entering any messages
online, it can use the Wildcat! editor to enter any detail file
descriptions for uploads.
Make sure that your Default Editor option for any Wildcat! 3.0 BBS
is NOT set to use the full screen editor. Either set this option
to Select Each Time, or Don't want to use Full Screen.
5. CCAUTO
The script CCAUTO.SLC has been included primarily as a utility for
Sysops. This script will allow you to utilize all of the Agenda
Dialing functions from the DOS command line. This makes CCAUTO an
excellent tool for Mail Processing "events".
Up to this point, you may have been using CatCalls on a PC other
than your BBS. If this is the case, install CatCalls on your BBS,
and establish all of the necessary User Configuration, and Extended
Directory entries for the other Wildcat! systems that you will be
calling.
Once this is done, establish your "daily" Agenda, and exit
CatCalls.
Now, make sure to edit your "event" batch file(s) and insert the
following commands:
CD \TELIX (or wherever you have Telix and CatCalls loaded)
TELIX sCCAUTO
That's IT! CCAUTO will make your "daily runs" for you with the
same reliability as CatCalls.
Please note that CCAUTO is non-functional in the unregistered
version.
21
6. External Configuration Files
Starting with version 2.1 of CatCalls, two ASCII text files are
being included with the product. These two files (CATCALLS.WC2 and
CATCALLS.WC3) contain the text strings that CatCalls should "watch"
for in order to send your specific prompts.
Why, you might ask, would I make these parameters external to the
CatCalls script? The answer is fairly easy. With Wildcat! release
3.0, your Sysop now has the ability to tailor EVERY SINGLE piece
of information that you see during your call. This includes such
things as the "-Pause- [C]ontinue, [N]onStop, [S]top" question that
you receive whenever a display reaches the bottom of your screen.
This was particularly apparent on the first International
registered user's bulletin board, where ALL of the system questions
are presented in German.
The Files
---------
CATCALLS.WC2 and CATCALLS.WC3 must be present and remain UNCHANGED
in your Telix home directory. The .WC2 file contains the standard
Wildcat text strings for all Wildcat 2.xx bulletin boards. These
text strings are NOT configurable by Sysops, and therefore should
not need to be "cloned". The .WC3 file contains the standard
Wildcat text strings for all Wildcat 3.0 bulletin boards. For this
file, the word "standard" means the "off the shelf" text strings
provided with the system.
Cloning the Files
-----------------
If you are calling a BBS that HAS changed any of the standard
Wildcat! system prompts, you can very easily change the .WC3 file
to match the prompts. However, you should first copy the
"standard" .WC3 file to a "Board Specific" file with the same
extension. Naming of a board specific file is easy. Simply use
the TomCat Node I.D. you have defined in your Extended Directory
screen for the BBS and add the .WC3 extension for the file. For
example, to initially set up such a file for The Center Line, enter
(from your Telix Directory):
COPY CATCALLS.WC3 CENTERLN.WC3
CatCalls will look for this file before it looks for the "standard"
file CATCALLS.WC3.
22
Customizing The Prompts
-----------------------
Now that you have made a copy of the .WC3 file, you may use your
favorite text editor or word processor to make the changes
necessary for this BBS.
PLEASE... If you are not comfortable or VERY familiar with the
system prompts for the BBS, do NOT attempt these changes. I
encourage any and all Sysops that have customized their prompts
(WCTEXT.DAT) to perform this editing and include their Board
Specific version of the .WC3 file with the CatCalls archive.
Each configuration entry in this file is denoted by a three
character identifier, an equal sign (=), and up to 30 a character
text string that CatCalls should look for when responding. Comment
entry lines can begin with a "#" or a space.
The three character identifiers and the equal sign should NOT be
changed.
When changing the text strings, please keep in mind that trailing
spaces WILL be included in the string. Try to remember to
terminate each string by pressing <Enter> at the end.
The following list will identify each three character identifier,
its description, and for Sysops, the WCTEXT.DAT record number.
IDENT. Description WCTEXT.DAT
------ -------------------------------------------- ----------
N01 Request to view the Bulletin Menu 375
N02 Request for caller's first name 226
N03 Request for caller's password 235/282
N04 Standard prompt to continue processing 177/335
N05 Main Menu prompt - Regular & Expert Menus 183
N06 "Pause" for end of screen prompt 173/174
N07 Request for Birth Date Verification 625
N08 Request for Phone Number Verification 628
N09 Verification (y or n) for Security verify (2.xx only)
N10 Verification of caller's identity 222
N11 Prompt caller for special bulletin (2.xx only)
N12 Request to view the newsletter 508
N13 Request for caller's last name 227
N14 Pending system event-should caller continue? 503
N15 Prompt from bulletin menu to continue 380
N16 Does caller want to list new personal mail? 151
N17 Front-end mailer request to press <Escape> N/A
D01 Request for file transfer protocol letter 257
D02 Name of file for download 612
D03 Request to auto-logoff after download 533
D04 Standard prompt to continue processing 177/335
D05 File Menu prompt - Regular & Expert Menus 184
D06 "Pause" for end of screen prompt 173/174
23
System Prompts (continued)
--------------
IDENT. Description WCTEXT.DAT
------ -------------------------------------------- ----------
D07 Bulletin Board Ready to send file for DL 219/540
D08 File for download not found on BBS 423
D09 Not enough time to download this file 600
U01 Request for file transfer protocol letter 257
U02 Request to password protect the upload 552/559
U03 Request to select file UL area 572
U04 Bulletin Board ready to receive Upload 594
U05 Request for Primary file description 469/554/561
U06 Always "1:" to denote 1st line of detail description
U07 "Pause" for end of screen prompt 173/174
U08 Request to leave detail description for UL 557
U09 Request to enter name of upload file 573
U10 File Menu prompt - Regular & Expert menus 184
U11 File already on BBS - Overwrite not allowed 590
U12 Select option for file duplicated on board 569
U13 System event scheduled - Upload anyway? 592
U14 Prompt to "save" detailed description 33/37/38
U15 Request to use full screen edit for U/L's 45
U16 Request for Keyword Description(s) 556
M01 Standard prompt to continue processing 177/335
M02 "Pause" for end of screen prompt 173/174
M03 Message Menu prompt - Regular & Expert menus 185
M04 Prompt to select a Door Number 401
M05 TomCat Main Menu - Regular & Expert menus N/A
M06 TomCat Protocol Selection N/A
M07 ---- Reserved for Future use ----
M08 Mail download disposition N/A
M09 Notification of Nothing to download (TomCat) N/A
M10 TomCat prompt to upload .REP packet N/A
M11 TomCat prompt to download .QWK packet N/A
M12 TomCat prompt indicating .REP Received N/A
B01 Prompt to select a Door Number 401
B02 Prompt to press ENTER to continue (T. Bank) N/A
B03 Time Bank Main Menu N/A
B04 Prompt for amount of time to deposit N/A
B05 Deposit confirmation - Press enter to cont. N/A
B06 Prompt for amount of time to withdraw N/A
B07 Pause" for end of screen prompt 173/174
B08 Time Bank Processing Menu N/A
B09 Main Menu prompt - Regular & Expert Menus 183
B10 Deposit limit exceeded N/A
Please try to make your "custom" prompts unique from the other
prompts defined in the file. For example, "Press ENTER to
continue" and "ENTER to continue" are for all intents and purposes
the same prompt, whereas "Press ENTER" and "ENTER to continue" are
completely different.
24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Telix and SALT are Copyright (C) 1986-1991 by Exis Inc.
Wildcat! is Copyright (C) 1987-1991 by Mustang Software, Inc.
TomCat is Copyright (C) 1990-1991 by Technique Computer Systems
Time Door is Copyright (C) 1990-1991 by Bill Bolden
MANY, MANY, THANKS ...
To:
-My relentless Beta testers, Brian Tydrich (Sysop of the Center
Line), Bob Allman (Sysop of the B-Line), and Tim Saari (Sysop
of ZARNO Board BBS).
CatCalls would not be HALF the product it is today without
their constant nagging (BIG CHUCKLE).
-My wife, Renee for allowing me to be "glued" to the PC from
sun-up to sun-down (and then some).
-Colin Sampaleanu and Exis for providing the best Terminal
communications package and script language around.
-Mustang Software and Technique Computer Systems for providing
their respective, excellent products.
-The little people, without whom there would be no big people.