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Text File | 1990-04-30 | 15.7 KB | 381 lines

Supplemental Information for Crosstalk for Windows v1.1 This text file contains information about changes made to the Crosstalk for Windows program and manuals for the 1.1 release. This file provides specific information; refer to the Crosstalk for Windows manuals for more general material. Product Support --------------- The telephone numbers listed in Appendix F of the User's Guide have changed. The new telephone numbers are: Technical Support (404) 442-3210 Customer Service (404) 442-4095 The Crosstalk BBS (404) 740-8428 Compatibility with Microsoft Windows ------------------------------------ Crosstalk for Windows version 1.1 has been developed to be compatible with the next version of Microsoft Windows. Multiple WIN.INI Files ---------------------- If you have more than one version of Windows installed on your system, the installation program updates only the WIN.INI that corresponds to the location where you installed Crosstalk for Windows. If you have more than one version of Windows installed on your system, you will need to manually update other WIN.INI files. DDE Enhancements ---------------- Crosstalk for Windows now accepts DDE Advise messages from other applications. Other applications can be advised on Crosstalk script variables only. Example DDE scripts which show the power of Dynamic Data Exchange between Crosstalk for Windows and Excel are available in the Crosstalk for Windows section of the Crosstalk BBS and the Crosstalk Forum on CompuServe. The demo includes an Excel workspace and the necessary Crosstalk for Windows phone book entry and scripts. Both online (with CompuServe) and offline (using historical data) demos are included. The Crosstalk BBS may be reached at (404) 740-8428. On CompuServe, type GO XTALK at any ! prompt to go to the forum. Help Files ---------- Crosstalk for Windows is shipped with two help files: XTHELP.HLP and XTALK.HLP. The installation program, INSTALL.EXE, copies both files to your Crosstalk for Windows directory. This allows you to obtain help from both the current and next versions of Windows. XTHELP.HLP should not be used with Windows 2.XX. Phone Book Entry Compatibility ------------------------------ Crosstalk for Windows version 1.01 can use phone book entry files (*.XWP) created by version 1.0, but not vice versa. The result of using a 1.01 or newer entry under 1.0 is unpredictable. No incompatibility exists between entries created in 1.01 and those created in 1.1. The Window Menu --------------- Version 1.01 of Crosstalk for Windows added Window to the menu bar. The Window menu has two commands: File Transfer and Notes. The File Transfer command is used to "hide" and redisplay the file transfer status window. When the window is hidden, information about the transfer is displayed in the Information Bar at the bottom of the Crosstalk window. The Notes command displays the Notes window, and is the same as the Notes command from the Actions menu. See Section 3.7.3 of the User's Guide for more information on Notes. BBS Graphics ------------ Viewing ANSI graphics from most BBS systems requires the use of IBM PC terminal emulation with the "Enable IBM PC graphics characters" and "Interpret color codes received from the host" selected. All three settings are made with the Setup menu's Terminal command. Also required is the use of the Terminal font which can be set with the Setup menu's Fonts command. Terminal Graphics ----------------- DEC VT102 and VT52 emulations support the DEC graphic character set if the "Enable line drawing characters" option on the Setup menu's Terminal dialog is selected. DEC graphic character display also requires the use of the VT102/VT52 font which can be selected with the Setup menu's Fonts command. VT102/VT52 Transparent Print Support ------------------------------------ Control codes sent by a host while in transparent print mode (e.g., form feeds) are not passed to the printer. We will attempt to address this issue in a future Crosstalk for Windows release. Screen Character Fonts ---------------------- The CHR function does not display graphic characters in dialogs. Graphic characters must be printed as strings within quotes by pressing the Alt key while the character's code is entered from the numeric keypad. Crosstalk's VT102 terminal font is a custom font. If you use this font, DEC graphic characters may not be properly presented when copied to other applications. CompuServe B Protocol --------------------- CompuServe B protocol auto-starts only if VIDTEX emulation is selected. If you're a CompuServe subscriber, we recommend changing your CompuServe profile to use the VIDTEX terminal type. You may change your profile by entering the "GO OPTIONS" command at any "!" prompt. When prompted to do so, make your changes permanent. When you create your CompuServe phone book entry, ensure that it specifies VIDTEX emulation (VIDTEX is automatically selected if you use NEWCALL to create your CompuServe entry). VIDTEX emulation also allows you to view black and white CompuServe RLE graphics while online, as shown in Appendix B of the User's Guide. If you prefer to use VT102 emulation with CompuServe, you can still use CompuServe B protocol by following the file transfer steps outlined in the User's Guide for XMODEM protocol. If you use VT102 with CompuServe, you'll also need to deselect the "Swap Backspace and Ctrl-Backspace" option on the Setup menu's Terminal dialog. ZMODEM Protocol --------------- Crosstalk for Windows supports the ZMODEM protocol. ZMODEM can be selected with the Setup menu's Protocol command and, like the other protocols, offers options for timing, packet size, and maximum number of errors allowed. ZMODEM protocol downloads start automatically only if IBM PC emulation is selected. If another emulation is used, file transfers must be initiated as outlined in the User's Guide for XMODEM protocol. Multiple File Transfers ----------------------- The CROSSTALK, DART, YMODEM/Batch, Kermit, and ZMODEM protocols can send multiples files. For these protocols, Crosstalk displays a "Batch" button in the file transfer dialog displayed by the File menu's Send command. To send multiple files, type a wildcard file specification (e.g., *.*) in the text box and click the "Batch" button to send the files. The CONVERT Program ------------------- A file conversion utility, CONVERT.EXE, converts command and script files written for CROSSTALK XVI to Crosstalk for Windows phone book entries and scripts, respectively. CONVERT may be used in one of two modes: as a Windows application by using the provided CONVERT.PIF file, or by running CONVERT at DOS. CONVERT will prompt you for the information it needs as it runs. The LEARN Script ---------------- Crosstalk for Windows can learn to log into hosts with the LEARN script. Run LEARN while you're offline and LEARN will help you place a call to another computer. Once connected, LEARN traps text received from the host and helps you to reply to the host prompts. The LEARN script is not documented in the User's Guide. The following text explains its use. Using LEARN The LEARN script writes login scripts for you. LEARN records the steps required to log into a host (entering your user ID, password, etc.) and assembles the necessary commands into a script file that optionally becomes "attached" to the phone book entry you're using. You should start LEARN before establishing a connection. To start LEARN, pull down the Actions menu and select the "Scripts..." command, select LEARN from the script list box, and click the "Run" button. From the dialog that appears, proceed as follows to begin the process: * choose "Place a call to <name>"* if the loaded phone book entry is the one for which you wish to create a login script. (If no entry is loaded, this prompt reads, "Dial a host using the current setup.") * choose "Call an existing phone book entry" to load another entry. * choose "Create a new phone book entry to call" if you do not have a phone book entry for the system you wish to call, and LEARN will pass control to the NEWCALL script. After the entry is created, you must start LEARN again and then use one of the other two options. While LEARN is running and you are online with a host system, the screen lists the LEARN functions in key icons along the bottom of the screen. You don't have to type directly to the host when you're using LEARN, just interact with the host by clicking on the key icons. The icons function as follows: Key: Description: NETID Sends the NetID from the phone book entry, followed by a carriage return. USERID Sends the UserID from the phone book entry, followed by a carriage return. PASSWORD Sends the Password from the phone book entry, followed by a carriage return. ENTER (^M) Sends a carriage return. a string Displays a dialog into which you can enter text to send to the host. End Learn Ends LEARN and writes the generated script to disk using the name of the phone book entry. When you finish LEARN, the name of the script is optionally entered in the Script variable of the phone book entry's Session dialog (on the Setup menu). If you choose to enter the script name in the dialog, it will run automatically whenever you establish a new connection using that phone book entry. Online Scripts -------------- The Crosstalk for Windows package includes a number of online scripts used to log into online services such as CompuServe and MCI Mail. The NEWCALL script, used to create phone book entries, includes selections for these major online services as well as bulletin board systems and for calling other Crosstalk products. NEWCALL automatically attaches the appropriate script to the phone book entry it creates. Editor Selection ---------------- Crosstalk for Windows allows you to define the editor it launches when you choose to edit a script from the Actions menu's Scripts dialog. The editor is defined in the "Editor to use" text box in the Setup menu's System dialog. You must include the editor's path (i.e., the drive and directory in which the program resides) in the definition. Crosstalk uses the Windows NOTEPAD application as its default editor. Programmable Keys ----------------- The User's Guide mentions only 24 of a total 48 definable keys. The 24 additional keys are Ctrl-A through Ctrl-Z (with the exception of Ctrl-S and Ctrl-Q). These additional keys can be programmed the same way the function keys are programmed, by using the Setup menu's Function Keys command. The control keys function as normal control keys if they are not user- programmed. Crosstalk for Windows version 1.01 added the ability to color the function key icons which are displayed on the Keys Bar. This is done via the Function Keys dialog, by selecting a key to color and clicking on the desired foreground and background colors. Manual Changes -------------- The Chapter 4 title pages for the User's Guide and Programmer's Reference manuals are switched in some manuals. The chapters are in their correct location. The following is a list of corrections for the User's Guide: Page # Correction 3-3 & 4-51 The STARTUP.XWS script is not set as the Setup menu's System Startup parameter. The STARTUP.XWS script is distributed only as an example. 3-9 & 3-20 The F9 key is no longer used to display the Notes window. F9 now activates the Input Line. 3-16 The Edit menu's Paste command is used to paste text from the clipboard to the host. 3-33 This screen picture shows a "CR" option for character pacing. This option should be "Echo", as documented in the paragraph following in the picture. B-3 DEC VT102 emulation keypad Applications Mode sequences for the - and * keypad keys are listed incorrectly. The following are the correct sequences: - (keypad minus) = ^[Om * (keypad asterisk) = ^[Ol B-8 IBM PC emulation does not use the four function keys shown in the table. B-10 IBM 3101 emulation sequences for the arrow keys are incorrect. The correct sequences are as follows: Cursor up = ^[A Cursor down = ^[B Cursor right = ^[C Cursor left = ^[D The following is a list of corrections for the Programmer's Reference: In the Programmer's Reference, the page numbers shown in the index for the latter half of Chapter 4 are off by one page starting with page 4-167 (e.g., the OCTAL function is on page 4-167 but is shown in the index as being on page 4-168). Page # Correction 2-10 The third example on this page is missing the letter "D" from the keyword "SECONDS". 3-4 The UPLOAD Statement is missing from the list of File I/O Operations. 4-9 The ALERT Statement text does not mention the CHOICE variable. CHOICE returns an integer you can check after displaying an ALERT window to determine which button was selected to exit the dialog. The following example from the same section inadvertently exceeds the maximum length number of characters allowed in a button: ALERT "File not found","Try &another",CANCEL,OK 4-46 The CURSHAPE Session Variable shows the wrong choices for the cursor shape. The correct choices are as follows: 0 = bar 1 = line 2 = block 4-96 & 4-97 The FKEY Statement section only mentions 24 programmable keys. There are actually a total of 48 programmable keys in Crosstalk for Windows (see the section on Programmable Keys earlier in this file). FKEY now also allows you to indicate whether or not the function key label appears in the User menu. The format for FKEY is now as follows: FKEY <keyname>, <string> [, <label> [,{ ON | OFF } ]] where ON displays the key label in the User menu and OFF does not. 4-138 The LINETIME Statement's maximum time delay between lines of text is 127. 4-144 The LWAIT Statement's maximum length of characters for the Prompt option is 8. 4-147 The range of values for the MAXERRORS Session Variable is 0 through 20. 4-149 The second example shown for the MESSAGE Statement is incorrect. The correct syntax is as follows: MESSAGE "Working with " + BOOKNAME(1) 4-163 The maximum value documented for the NEXTLINE Function's "maxsize" option is incorrect. The default and maximum value is 250 characters. 4-172 The PACKETSIZE values shown for CROSSTALK protocol are incorrect. The correct values are 256, 512, 768, and 1024. 4-192 The Screen area for the REDIALCOUNT Session Variable shows the wrong screen text. The correct text is "Try to redial [ ] times". 4-225 The range of TABWIDTH is from 1 to 16. 4-237 The upper case letter A in the "Notes:" section should have a tilde character (~) before it. 6-4 The TAKE command shown in the list of SET Commands is not supported. C-1 Both superscript numbers which appear in the table refer to the same footnote at the bottom of the page.