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Open Mike Back Issues
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Celestin Company
1152 Hastings Avenue
Port Townsend, WA 98368
206 385 3767 voice
206 385 3586 fax
If you would like to order a back issue of Open Mike, use the handy order form at the end of this document. What follows is a description of the previous issues of Open Mike.
Open Mike 001
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Order No. 7007-001
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Recursion Simplified: How to write recursive scripts in MicroPhone, and what to use them for, including directory management tasks.
Promptly I Said: How to deal with annoying prompts, dynamic prompts, or prompts that may never even show up. Includes various script examples, showing different ways of dealing with prompt problems.
Modem May I? Have two machines, one at work, one at home, with different modems? Here are a few tricks to make your settings document switch modem drivers automatically.
Iconographically Yours - a dozen different full-color icons, ready to install into MicroPhone's MPToolBox.
DialogerPro Tutorial part 1 - a step-by-step introduction to the wonderful world of GUI (graphical user interface) design and scripting. Part 1 discusses simple dialogs, and takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a dialog in ResEdit, and then manipulating it in MicroPhone.
Open Mike 002
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Order No. 7007-002
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Modular Design - a look at modules and how to use them. Includes several module scripts you can use in your own settings documents.
MicroBBS - Here is MicroBBS, a newly written, full-featured BBS, including auto-registration of users and messaging. It's ready-to-use and fully-commented.
How About a Date? - This is a collection of scripts that do nothing but return the current date in various formats, all fully-commented. Includes techniques for inserting leading zeros in numbers, as well as determining the day-of-week.
Iconographically Yours - Theme: Roadside Attractions - signs along the side of the road.
DP Tutorial Pt.2 - The second installment in our ongoing DialogerPro tutorial. Learn how to use hit handlers, to give you full control of dialogs. ResEdit 2.1 is required (available from Apple or on many commercial services and BBSes).
Open Mike 003
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Order No. 7007-003
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: a piece of code that serves no useful function by itself, except to bring attention to the person that created it. Just because MicroPhone's script language isn't a true language like C or Pascal, it doesn't mean you can't hack around with it. Some of the best (and worst) hacks have come from people developing tools in script languages. Here are some examples for your perusal.
Iconographically Yours - Another dozen icons with a postal theme.
Funky Functions - If you've used a language such as C or Pascal, you've probably seen the libraries that are available for use by your programs. Well, here is an attempt to give you this functionality in MicroPhone. Here are some "functions" that you can use in any of your settings documents.
DP Tutorial Pt.3 - The third and final installment in our DialogerPro tutorial. Learn how list boxes work. ResEdit 2.1 is required (available from Apple or on many commercial services and BBSes).
Open Mike 004
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Order No. 7007-004
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: know where you are at a glance, without having to grab your checkbook or look on the wall at the other end of the room. You'll be playing the numbers game with this hack!
Iconographically Yours - A grab bag of a dozen icons, ready to install into your MPToolBox file, for use by all of your settings documents.
Funky Functions II - If you've used a language such as C or Pascal, you've probably seen the libraries that are available for use by your programs. Well, here is an attempt to give you this functionality in MicroPhone. Here are some "functions" that you can use in any of your settings documents.
Open Mike 005
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Order No. 7007-005
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search. Also, if you have a question you'd like answered, send it in. You might see it here in a future issue of Open Mike.
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: it's little and it's black, but it's not a book, it's a hack. This is an example of how you can write an electronic phone directory using MicroPhone scripts and Dialoger Pro.
Iconographically Yours - A grab bag of a dozen icons, ready to install into your MPToolBox file, for use by all of your settings documents. The root of all squares is the theme for this series of icons.
Drop Shipment - If you have a network of Macs and a file server, you can use this tool to give each of your users a "drop box". Users can drop off files and other documents for other users, as well as pick up files that have been dropped off for them. It's less than network email, but may be all you really need.
Open Mike 006
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Order No. 7007-006
Price: $10
Available Electronically
TextBooks - Our feature article describes a concept of creating text windows that contain any type of information, similar to post-em notes. These "text books" can contain up to 30K of text, are resizable, can be placed anywhere on the screen, and can be minimized and maximized at will. You can use text books to store just about anything, including BBS numbers, commands, file names, and any other information that might be useful while using MicroPhone. Because TextBooks is a module, it can be used in any MicroPhone settings document.
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: it adds and subtracts, but not much more, it doesn't know decimals or baseball scores. It's a quick and dirty example of how you can write a functional calculator, using MicroPhone's script language.
Iconographically Yours - A grab bag of a dozen icons, ready to install into your MPToolBox file, for use by all of your settings documents.
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Tips and Tricks - Our writers and readers have come up with a collection of useful tips and tricks. We begin highlighting these in this new column. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to contribute, contact us via one of our email addresses and ask for more information.
Open Mike 007
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Order No. 7007-007
Price: $10
Available Electronically
MicroLaunch - If you've ever wanted a quick way of launching other applications while in MicroPhone, here's an approach that you're sure to like.
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: it's as wise as you, maybe not, depends greatly on not a lot. DailyQuote gives you words of wisdom every time you run it.
Iconographically Yours - A grab bag of a dozen icons, ready to install into your MPToolBox file, for use by all of your settings documents.
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Tips and Tricks - Our writers and readers have come up with a collection of useful tips and tricks. We begin highlighting these in this new column. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to contribute, contact us via one of our email addresses and ask for more information.
Open Mike 008
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Order No. 7007-008
Price: $10
Available Electronically
XFCN Mania - XFCN Mania brings you three useful XFCNs that you can install into your MPToolBox. The following XFCNs are included: ScreenHeight returns the height in pixels of your main monitor. ScreenWidth returns the width in pixels of your main monitor. BitDepth returns the number of bits your main monitor can display (useful for checking if you can support color).
Hacker's Hangout - This month's definition of hack: you might want to applaud for this way to figure out your baud. Have you ever wanted to figure out your baud rate without going to the Communications Settings dialog? Have you ever wanted a quick way of changing it? ComSet puts up a palette that shows you your current baud rate and other communication settings. Since it is a module, you can use it in any settings document.
Iconographically Yours - A grab bag of a dozen icons, ready to install into your MPToolBox file, for use by all of your settings documents.
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Tips and Tricks - Our writers and readers have come up with a collection of useful tips and tricks. We begin highlighting these in this new column. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to contribute, contact us via one of our email addresses and ask for more information.
Open Mike 009
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Order No. 7007-009
Price: $10
Available Electronically
XFCN Mania II - XFCN Mania II brings you three useful XFCNs that you can install into your MPToolBox. The following XFCNs are included: CRCValue returns a 16 bit CRC value for a given piece of text. You can use a CRC to compare two different pieces of text to see if they are identical. ROT13 will encrypt or decrypt a piece of text, using the popular ROT13 technique. CharCount will return the number of times a specified character appears in a given piece of text.
Hacker's Hangout - Have you ever needed to format a piece of text to a certain column width? Some services need carriage returns at the end of each line. Give a text file to this hack and it will create a formatted text file of whatever column width you'd like.
Snippet Show - Here is the beginning of a new column. If you've ever looked for a small example script that handles a particular problem, this is the place to look. We introduce several small, but useful scripts and explain what they do and why.
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Tips and Tricks - Our writers and readers have come up with a collection of useful tips and tricks. We begin highlighting these in this new column. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to contribute, contact us via one of our email addresses and ask for more information.
Open Mike 010
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Order No. 7007-010
Price: $10
Available Electronically
Hostess - Sometimes, you don't need a full blown BBS, but you want something that will continually accept modem calls for you and give callers some options. Hostess is perfect for this. She answers calls, and allows callers to upload, download, and display files.
Hacker's Hangout - Ever wanted to keep track of the number of calls you've received while you were out? You might have an answering machine connected to your phone line, but it might not record the time a call came in. This hack will keep track of the number of calls that come in and display the time they arrive.
Snippet Show - Here is a selection of example scripts that tackle specific problems, complete with explanations of how they work and why.
Question & Answer - We get questions, and here is our attempt to answer them. If you are looking for a particular solution to a particular problem, this is a good place to begin your search.
Tips and Tricks - Our writers and readers have come up with a collection of useful tips and tricks. We begin highlighting these in this new column. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to contribute, contact us via one of our email addresses and ask for more information.
CompUnite High-Speed Mac Modem Cable
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Order No. 7001
Price: $14
Many Macintosh users and retailers are unaware that high-speed modems, such as the new SupraFAXModem v.32bis, require a special hardware handshaking cable for optimum performance. The CompUnite High-Speed Mac Modem Cable supports hardware handshaking; its support of DTR also makes it compatible with standard modems as well as software packages such as Appletalk Remote Access.
The CompUnite High-Speed Mac Modem Cable is a BMUG Choice Product. BMUG is the largest Macintosh user group in the world. According to the Spring 1993 BMUG Newsletter, "Most high speed modems can take advantage of hardware handshaking modem cables. They can increase data throughput by up to 20%. Generally the cables you get at the store don't support it, and those that do tend to cost over $25. These [CompUnite] cables work fine with non-high speed modems as well, and that's cool."
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Dear Celestin Company,
YES, I would like to order the following products from you.
[ ] Send electronically the products that are available in this manner to this email address (specify service and user ID):
I understand that if I am dissatisfied with any product, for any reason, I can return it within 30 days for a prompt and courteous refund.
Note: We pay shipping for all products. We also pay sales tax for Washington state orders. If you are paying by check, please make them payable to Celestin Company. If you are paying by credit card, you may EMAIL your order to any of the email addresses listed below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We offer electronic delivery of products only to email addresses on the services listed below, or to any address that is accessible via Internet.
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AOL: Celestin
CompuServe: 71630,650
Internet: celestin@pt.olympus.net
MCI Mail: 578-6464
You may call to place your order at: 800 835 5514
You may FAX your order to: 206 385 3586
Copyright (C) 1993 by Celestin Company. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. However, you are permitted to make copies of this work, printed or otherwise, as long as said copies are for your personal use only.
Celestin Company is located at 1152 Hastings Avenue, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Telephone: 206 385 3767.
