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Introduction
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If you've got a question, simple or complicated, strange or common, send it to us. We'll try to answer as many questions as we have time for. And who knows, maybe your question will be the basis of a future article? Send your questions to any of the electronic addresses listed elsewhere in this issue.
Variable Fun
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Q: I need a quick way of figuring out the value of specific variables. Right now, I do this by creating a script for each variable I need to test, like this:
Alert OK "'myVariable=' & myVariable"
Is there a better way of doing this?
- M. Wallace
Oakland, CA
A: The following script will make it easy for you to check the value of any variable:
Set Variable it from Dialog Box "'Check what variable?'"
If Expression "Length(it) > 0"
Alert OK "String(Eval(it))"
End If
Delete Variable it
The Eval expression comes in handy, because it can evaluate any MicroPhone expression, including the value of a variable. Add this script to your repertoire of utility scripts and you'll have yet another way to debug your settings documents.
What Kind of Modem?
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Q: I have just purchased a new high-speed modem. I recently heard that this brand of modem has a new ROM upgrade and I want to know if my modem has the new ROMs or if I need to get the upgrade. How do I tell what version of the ROMs I have?
- K. Placer
Incline Village, NV
A: The best way to get information about most modems is by using the I command. Start by typing the following to your modem:
ATI
Your modem should respond with some information. If this information doesn't look useful, try typing ATI1, ATI2, ATI3, etc. until your modem responds with an ERROR message. The I registers in your modem are usually where you find information such as ROM versions and feature lists.
No Faxing with MicroPhone
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Q: I have a fax modem and sometimes leave my fax software set to receive incoming faxes. If I do this, when I launch MicroPhone, my computer freezes. What should I do?
- J. Lopez
New York, NY
A: When you set up your fax software to receive incoming faxes, it grabs control of the modem port and constantly looks for incoming calls. When you launch MicroPhone, it tries to get control of the modem port. Since the fax software is already using it, you end up with a conflict. To prevent something like this from happening, disable the receive capability of your fax software before launching MicroPhone.
