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- Using The Script
- ────────────────
-
- 1. Marking the Boards
-
- -- run the batch file you created (mine was called Auto.bat..).
- You'll see a screen come up with Macro Parameters on the top of
- the screen..a listing of BBSs with some codes for each. The
- scroll bar will be positioned over the line that begins {top}.
-
- -- move the scrollbar with your arrow keys down to the line that
- begins {mark...}. Press the "e" key. The scrollbar will
- disappear..you're now in Commo's internal editor. Delete
- whichever BBS you don't want to call. Use the table of BBSs and
- their codes to determine what the codes in the mark line
- represent. It's important that you don't have any space between
- commas and board IDs. The trailing curly brace must immediately
- follow the last character of the last BBS you want to mark.
-
- 2. Setting the Time To Run
-
- -- move the cursor to the {hold..} area. Edit the time you want it
- to start.
-
- 3. Save the settings
-
- -- if the settings you've made from above will be the ones you want
- to use all the time, press "ESC" after making the changes.
-
- -- if you'll want to vary BBSs or time to start regularly, press
- Alt-Q. The difference between Alt-Q and ESC is that changes
- made will be good for only that session if you hit Alt-Q. "ESC"
- causes the changes to be written to disk when you exit Commo.
-
- 4. Running the Script
-
- -- after you've made the changes and either Alt-Q'd or ESC'd, the
- scrollbar will reappear. Make sure the scrollbar is positioned
- over the {mark...} line. Hit your ENTER key..the script is now
- active. You should see a status bar with a Holding Until xx:xx
- on the right hand side.
-
- 5. Stopping the Script
-
- -- if at any time after hitting the ENTER key you want to stop the
- script..just hit your ESCAPE key. That will terminate the
- script, no matter what point it is in processing. When the
- script terminates, you'll be at the terminal screen. If you want
- to Exit Commo..press Alt-X.
-
- 6. Testing the Script
-
- -- I strongly recommend you test the script one board at a
- time..while you're sitting there watching. The way to do this is
- to mark just one BBS, hit the Enter key..then when it says
- Holding till xx:xx..hit Cntl-Break..this will cause the script to
- bypass the Hold command and it will commence dialing immediately.
-
- -- There should be very little pause at any prompt after you connect
- with a BBS. If something seems amiss..(i.e. it stalls
- someplace)..press the key that the BBS seems to be waiting
- for..the keyboard is not inactive while the script is running.
- If this doesn't make the script run smoothly..press your ESC key.
- The script will be terminated and you'll be in the terminal
- screen. You'll still be logged on the BBS and can continue as
- normal. After you log off the BBS..press Alt-1..you'll see a
- window pop up with a Capture file name in there..Press Alt-1
- again (this will close the capture file).
-
- 7. Capture Files
-
- -- the script creates capture files which are images of everything
- that came in from the BBS during that session. I use them just
- for review (and for New File Scan at Connect!). After you
- review them, you can delete them or keep them..just be aware
- that if you keep them, they'll get bigger everytime you log on
- to whatever BBS the capture file represents. Each BBS will have
- its own capture file..you should be able to tell which one is
- which. They'll be in the same directory as your .REP/.UL files,
- and those two flag files from before..it's the directory you
- substituted for PATH..the capture filenames will have the same
- BBSID as the board's .rep files...i.e. Robert's Room is ROBERT.
- If you ever run into a problem..save the capture file from that
- session and let me take a look at it. The capture files are
- excellent tools for troubleshooting the script.
-
- 8. Using Bimodem
-
- -- I'm going to assume you already know how to create Bimodem.pth
- files. There are only two important rules you must follow:
-
- --- the script currently supports bimodem transfers with The
- Pitt, Roberts Room, and PWSA. The bimodem.pth files you
- create for these boards MUST be named thepitt.pth,
- robert.pth, and pwsa.pth, respectively.
-
- --- these .pth files MUST be in the same directory as your
- .rep/.ul and those flag files (the directory you substituted
- for PATH)
-
- --- my Auto.bat starts off by asking me if I want to transfer
- files to any BBS. I'll show you what my Auto.bat looks
- like..if you want to do something similar, you'll have to
- modify the paths (also, note that I use a utility called
- "ASK" to generate the errorlevels..this ASK utility is
- Norton's):
-
- My Auto.bat:
-
- cls
- @echo off
- echo
- echo
- echo
- echo This batch file creates .PTH files for BiModem transfers
- echo Enter the letter for the BBS or "Q" to quit
- echo
- echo All .PTH files in "C" can be erased with (E)
- echo
- echo
- :top
- echo
- ask "(P)itt, PWS(A), (R)obert's Room, (Q)uit to Commo " ,parqe
- if errorlevel 5 goto erase
- if errorlevel 4 goto commo
- if errorlevel 3 goto robert
- if errorlevel 2 goto pwsa
- bimenu /c a:\bimodem.cfg /p c:\thepitt.pth
- echo Thepitt.pth is now in "C" drive unless you aborted
- goto top
- :pwsa
- bimenu /c a:\bimodem.cfg /p c:\pwsa.pth
- echo PWSA.pth is now in "C" drive unless you aborted
- goto top
- :robert
- bimenu /c a:\bimodem.cfg /p c:\robert.pth
- echo Robert.pth is now in "C" drive unless you aborted
- goto top
- :erase
- del c:*.pth
- echo All .pth files in "C" drive have been deleted!
- goto top
- :commo
- commo /m=top
- if exist files.zup del files.zup
- if exist dsz.log del dsz.log
- :quit
-
- Note also that I'm using the Bimenu file out of BIMODxxx.Zip. If you
- want to use this batch file, you'll need ASK and Bimenu. Where I have
- a:\bimodem.cfg..you'ld substitute the directory where you keep your
- bimodem.cfg file. Where I have c:\bbs.pth (various names for bbs),
- you'ld have the directory you substituted for PATH. Where I say "All
- .pth files in "C" drive have been deleted"..you'ld substitute what you
- changed for PATH for my "C". Same goes for the line "All .PTH files in
- "C" can be erased with (E)..and anyplace else "C" appears..just
- substitute the path you put exchanged for PATH. Also..every line in the
- .bat file that has just Echo on it really has Echo followed by a space
- and an Alt-255 character (a blank)..the blank is invisible (of course)
- and doesn't show up here.
-
- Have fun with this..let me know if you need some help.
-