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BackTalk 1.10 Copyright 1991 by Steve Ahlstrom and Don Curtis Copyright and Distribution Notice: BackTalk is a copyrighted program. BackTalk is freely distributable provided the following files (listed below) remain UNCHANGE and AS A WHOLE in LHARCIVE FORM along with this notice. All rights to the program BackTalk and all files in this archive, except where specifically noted, remain the property of Steve Ahlstrom and Don Curtis. BackTalk may not be sold or distributed for any fee. The exception to this is that BackTalk may be included on any Amiga User Group Club disks on which BackTalk is not the only program on the disk and the disk does not sell for more than $10US. Disclaimer: No warranty is offered and no fitness for any particular purpose is claimed. Every effort has been made for this software to perform as indicated in the documentation. However, nothing is perfect. Credits: Thanks to the creators of the XPR library specification. Thanks to the authors of the various XPR libraries. Do be aware than that, depending upon implementation, some of these libraries work better than others. Thanks to Khalid Aldoseri for this File Requester library, his considerable help and expertise with suggestions, coding hints, and support all while he was constantly donning his gas mask and seeking shelter from SCUD attacks. And special thanks to the corp of BackTalk testers who include, but are not limited to, Khalid Aldoseri, Bob Rakosky, Steve Pietrowicz, Betty Clay, David Art, Brian Bartlett, Vic Wagner, Jim Williams (eet), Michael McCormick, and Rick Stevens. Files in this LHARCHIVE: BackTalk This is the terminal program "BackTalk" BackTalk.info Icon for BackTalk BackTalk.doc This file *frqlib.lzh Khalid Aldoseri's File Requester library (ver 2.0). This is the full distribution of the library, auxillary programs, user documentation, and programmer documentation. Release 3.0 of Khalid's file requester library is due to be released "any day now" (as of the the date this is written, 24 Feb 1991). It is fully backward compatible with previous versions and with BackTalk's calls to the library. *xprquickb.library Jack Rousse's CompuServe QuickB XPR library updated and modified by Don Curtis *xprzmodem.library Rick Huebner's XPR Zmodem library version 2.1. Previous versions of this library will NOT work with BackTalk and will likely cause a guru. *xprascii.library an ascii XPR library distributed with the XPR 2.0 specification * These files freely distributable and all rights to them remain with their authors. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BackTalk A general purpose TTY-type telecommunications program for the Amiga Feature Overview: - Supports the XPR specification. You may use any file transfer protocol for which there exists an XPR library implementation. At the time of this writing there exists XPR libraries for CompuServe QuickB, Zmodem, Xmodem, Kermit, and Ascii. - Fully supports user selected fonts, including proportional fonts. - ARexx interface - Full featured Review Buffer - Program will operate in a 1 or a 2 bit plane custom screen or in a workbench window. - If run in a hi-res/interlaced environment, a "split" is provided (half screen) - Capture Buffer for saving text to a file - Chat Window for network conferencing. - Color requester for loading and saving color choices - Phone book limited only by available memory. Baud rate loaded from phone book entry. - Real time clock - A non-graphic Print Screen function - Print feature for echoing incoming text to a printer Minimum System Requirement: Amiga 500/1000/2000/3000 with a minimum of 512k and 1 floppy drive Modem: 300/1200/2400/4800/9600 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Use BackTalk Before running BackTalk for the first time, decompress frqlib.lzh and place kd_freq.library, xprquickb.library, xprzmodem.library and xprascii.library files in your LIBS: logical directory. Library file names are case sensitive, please do not change them. BackTalk will not run without kd_freq.library and xprquickb.library. BackTalk will open its screen/window in whatever resolution your computer is in at the time the program is run. When BackTalk loads, it looks for 3 files, BT.CFG (its configuration file), BT.MACROS (it's macro key file), and BT.PHONES (its phone book data file). BackTalk will look in the current directory for these files. If it does not find them there, it will look in S:. Since first time users will not have these files, BackTalk will put up a requester informing the user that the files cannot be found and will then use its internal defaults. FIRST TIME USERS, PLEASE TAKE NOTE. When BackTalk attempts to load its data files (BT.CFG, BT.MACROS, and BT.PHONES) it looks FIRST to your current directory. If not found it then looks to S:. When you create these files they will be saved to where ever they were read from (current directory or S:). This means that for first time use they will not be read from S:. The files will be saved to current directory. If you want these files to be in S: in future runs of the program, you must copy them there after BackTalk creates them. From then on, when updating these files from within BackTalk, they will be saved to S: because they were read in from S:. The most coherent method to document BackTalk is to describe the function of its menu items (from left to right) and their subitems. Menu: BackTalk SubItem: About Hot Key: Right-Amiga-A This brings up a "credits" requester containing copyright, support, and distribution information. SubItem: Hangup Hot Key: Right-Amiga-H This will cause your modem to hang up the phone. This is done by dropping DTR. If your modem is setup to ignore DTR or you are using a 3 wire serial cable between your computer and your modem, this command has detects that dropping DTR had no effect and will then send the standard Hayes compatible "+++ATH" string to your modem. SubItem: Quit Hot Key: Right-Amiga-Q This will terminate the program. Menu: Phone SubItem: Dial... Hot Key: Right-Amiga-P This brings up the Phone Directory. The Phone Directory displays 10 entries. If there are more than 10 entries, you may scroll through them using the UP and DOWN arrow keys. You may select the entry to dial by using the mouse and clicking upon the entry or by typing the number to the left of the entry from the keyboard. This will place the entry into the string gadgets below. You may dial the entry by clicking on the gadget labeled "Dial" or by typing "D" from the keyboard. The phone number will be sent to the modem with a terminating carriage return. If for any reason you do not want the carriage return sent, in the phone number portion of that entry, place an asterisk (*) as the last character in the phone number (see "Adding Phone Book Entries" and "Editing Phone Book Entries" below). When "Dial" is clicked upon or the letter "D" is typed, the phone number will be sent to the modem without a terminating carriage return. Adding Phone Book Entries: To add a phone book entry, click on the "Add" gadget with the mouse. This will activate the "System" string gadget. Type in the name and then type return. The "Phone" string gadget will now be activated. Enter the phone number to be dialed and type a return. The "Comment" string gadget will be activated. Enter a comment if you wish, and type return. The "Baud" string gadget will be activated. In this string gadget the current baud rate will be displayed. If you wish this Phone Book entry to have a different baud rate, enter it here, otherwise just hit return. Should you enter an invalid baud rate, (ie, NOT 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, or 19200) the current baud rate will be used and saved with the Phone Book entry. The "Modem Prefix" string gadget will be activated. The "Modem Prefix" string gadget serves two purposes. The information entered here will be prepended to the phone number when it is sent to the modem. This is also a "terminator" field for the Phone Book entry. If you do not type a return in this gadget the Phone Book entry will not be added. By default, an "ATDT" is placed in the "Modem Prefix" string gadget. If this is acceptable, just type a carriage return, if not, enter your dialing prefix and type a carriage return. Editing Phone Book Entries: To edit an existing Phone Book entry, select the entry to be edited by clicking upon the entry or by typing the number of the entry. The entry will be placed into the string gadgets below. Click the mouse on the string gadget you wish to change and make your changes. When you type a carriage return in the "Modem Prefix" string gadget, the changes will be accepted. Deleting Phone Book Entries: To delete an existing Phone Book entry, select the entry to be deleted by clicking upon the entry of by typing the number of the entry. The entry will be placed into the string gadgets below. Click the mouse on the "Delete" gadget. The entry will be removed from the list. The Phone Book entries are "hot keyable" from within the requester by using the number keys 1-1(0). The Dial and Exit gadgets are also hot keyable using the D and E keys, respectively. If there have been any changes to the Phone Book those changes will be written to the file BT.PHONES when you exit the Phone Book (by using the Dial or Exit gadgets). SubItem: Redial Hot Key: Right-Amiga-$ This will cause the last dialed Phone Book entry to be dialed again. Menu: Serial SubItem: Serial Definitions... Hot Key: Right-Amiga-* This brings up the Serial Definitions requester. Most of the items within this requester are self explanatory. If you are using a modem or a serial card that requires the use of a serial device driver other than the CBM supplied "serial.device" make sure that device driver is located in your LIBS: directory. Enter the name of the device driver (the name is case sensitive) into the "Device Name" string gadget. If a unit number other than 0 is required, enter the unit number into the "Unit #" string gadget (check the documentation for your non-CBM supplied device driver for this information. NOTE: There appears to be a problem with CBM's serial.device that is distributed with the A2232 card. The symptom is that when a unit number other than 0 is being used, attempting to close and reopen the port while online will cause BackTalk to hang. To exit the Serial Definitions requester, click on the Cancel or Use gadgets, or type the letter C or U. If you have made changes and selected "Use", those changes will go into effect immediately. By selecting "Cancel" all changes will be negated and your serial definitions will remain as they were before you entered the Serial Definitions requester. SubItem: Send Break Hot Key: Right-Amiga-~ (tilde) This sends a break signal. Menu: Files SubItem: Protocols... Hot Key: NONE BackTalk utilizes the XPR protocol specification. This menu item will bring up a file requester from which you may load the xpr library you would like to use. By default, the file requester will display files in LIBS: that begin with XPR#?. SubItem: Download Hot Key: Right-Amiga-D When selected you will be presented with a file requester for you to indicate the path and file name of where the download will be written. Some transfer protocols are "autostart" meaning that when you tell the system you are calling that you want to download a file the file transfer starts automatically. You will be prompted for the location of where the file will be written. In this case, the DOWNLOAD menu option will be ghosted. An example of an autostart protocol is CompuServe QuickB protocol. You would simply type "DOW filename", Compuserve will respond with "Filename for your computer". You would respond with the path/filename of the file you are downloading. The transfer will start automatically at that point. SubItem: Upload Hot Key: Right-Amiga-U Same as DOWNLOAD only in the reverse direction. SubItem: Capture On Hot Key: Right-Amiga-O A file requester will be presented with the default path and filename taken from the path and filename you indicated in the Global Options requester (more on the Global Options requester later). If this is acceptable, hit return and the capture file will be opened. If it is not acceptable, enter the desired path and filename. Should you open a capture file, and that file already exists, the new information will be appended to the existing file rather than overwriting the existing file. SubItem: Capture Off Hot Key: Right-Amiga-C This turns off the capture buffer and closes the capture file. Menu: Review SubItem: Show Review Hot Key: Right-Amiga-R This opens the Review Buffer. The Review Buffer is a circular buffer, 16k in size. You may move around in the Review Buffer by using the up arrow and down arrow keys to scroll a line at a time. Shifted up or down arrows will scroll a page at a time. ALT up and down arrow will move you to top or bottom of file, respectively. Clicking the mouse upper half of the display will scroll the display up one page. Clicking the mouse in the lower half of the display will scroll the display down one page. The Review Buffer has a menu attached that allows you to print the current screen or print the entire review buffer. You may also exit the Review Buffer via the menu. Other methods to exit the Review Buffer is to type Right-Amiga-Q, type ESC, or type HELP. If you are running in a workbench window, there will also be a Close Box in the upper left corner. SubItem: Save Review Hot Key: NONE This brings up a file requester with the path "RAM:ReviewBuff" as the default. If this is acceptable hit return or click on the SAVE button. If it is not acceptable, enter the desired path and file. Menu: Print SubItem: Print Screen Hot Key: Right-Amiga-Z This will send what is currently displayed on BackTalk's screen to your prt:. SubItem: Print Review Hot Key: Right-Amiga-! This will send the contents of the Review Buffer to prt:. SubItem: Echo Printer Hot Key: Right-Amiga-E All text that is displayed on BackTalk's screen will be echoed to prt:. Menu: Configuration SubItem: Global Options Hot Key: NONE This brings up the Global Options requester. Here you specify the default Upload and Download directories and the default name of the Capture file. BackTalk utilizes proportional fonts. Even if the font you have selected is not proportional, it is treated as such. When using the Chat Window (described in more detail later) lines are "auto sent" when a maximum line length is reached. This line length is based upon the pixel length of the line, not the character length of the line. You may, in the Global Options requester, specify at what pixel length the line should be sent. You are shown the current maximum line length, in pixels, that is possible (based upon your horizontal resolution) and may enter a different value in the string gadget. This feature is basicly a trial and error adventure depending on the font you are using. When using the Chat Window, as mentioned above, lines are auto sent if a maximum line length is reached before a carriage return is entered. You may elected to have a "..." automatically appended to all lines that are auto sent from the Chat Window. Appending the dots is especially user when in a conferencing area to indicate to others that you are not through typing. However, it can become a nuisance if you are leaving a message while using the Chat Window. In the Global Options requester you may select to have the dots appended or not. Also in the Global Options requester are two string gadgets, labeled "Modem Init Command" and "Modem Exit Command". Whatever string is in the Moden Init Command string gadget will be sent to the serial port immediately upon starting BackTalk. The Modem Exit Command string will be sent to the serial port just prior to terminating BackTalk. If you do not want these strings to be sent, clear these string gadgets. SubItem: Split Hot Key: Right-Amiga-S If you are running BackTalk in a hi resolution/interlaced mode, the Split command will reduce the size of BackTalk's window to half screen. Split is a toggle. If BackTalk is in half size mode, selecting split again will return it to full screen size. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Screen - 1 Plane Hot Key: Right-Amiga-1 Causes BackTalk to be run in a 1 bit plane custom screen. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Screen - 2 Plane Hot Key: Right-Amiga-2 Causes BackTalk to be run in a 2 bit plane custom screen. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Workbench Screen Hot Key: Right-Amiga-3 Causes BackTalk to be run in a workbench window. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Borders On/Off Hot Key: Right-Amiga-B This is a toggle which turns the window borders on or off. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Set Colors Hot Key: NONE This brings up a color requester. You may change the colors of the program with this requester. This menu item is ghosted if you are running BackTalk from a workbench window. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Fonts SubSubItem: Diskfonts... Hot Key: Right-Amiga-F This brings up a file requester defaulted to FONTS:. Select the font you wish to use, then select the point size, and click on use. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubSubItem: Topaz 8 Hot Key: Right-Amiga-8 Since Topaz is a rom font it will not show up in the Fonts file requester. This item will select the Topaz 8 font. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubSubItem: Topaz 9 Hot Key: Right-Amiga-9 Since Topaz is a rom font it will not show up in the Fonts file requester. This item will select the Topaz 9 font. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Macros Hot Key: NONE This brings up the Macros requester. Simply click on the FKey gadget of your choice, enter the text into the string gadget and type return in the string gadget. To enter a carriage return into your macros, type a ^M (either the 2 separate characters ^ and M or the 2 keys together. The same goes for any control character you'd like to embed in a macro). If you exit the Macro requester by selecting SAVE your macros will be written to the file BT.MACROS. SubItem: Chat Window Hot Key: Right-Amiga-W This toggles the Chat Window on and off. Text typed into the Chat Window will be sent to the serial port when a carriage return is typed or when the length of the line exceeds the maximum line length (see Global Options for more information on the maximum line length). Because lines are auto sent from the Chat Window an insert mode is not provided. You may move the cursor on the line in the Chat Window with the left and right arrow keys. If you type over text you will be "typing over text" rather than inserting new text. A ctrl-X typed in the Chat Window will clear the current line. A ctrl-Y typed in the Chat Window will delete the text from the cursor position to the end of the line. The Chat Window features a 20 line Chat History Buffer. This is a circular buffer. You move through previously send line by using the the up and down arrow keys. Using the Chat Window in Compuserve's Conferenicng or CB areas: If the beginning of a line is "/sen nn" (where nn is a "job number") and the line is auto sent before a carriage return is entered, the unsent text will be wrapped to the next line and PREpended with the "/sen nn" from the previous line. This helps prevent embarassing moments if the first /sen line is auto sent and the user neglects to type "/sen nn" on the following line. Sending control characters from the Chat Window to the serial port is sometimes necessary. BackTalk will send ctrl-C, ctrl-O, ctrl-P, ctrl-Q, ctrl-S, and ctrl-Z from the Chat Window to the serial port. All others are ignored. When the Chat Window is active, a gadget labeled /SEN is located on the right side of the bottom status line. When the /SEN gadget is clicked upon a string gadget will appear to it's right. This gadget is used to make it more convenient to have a /SEN converation (private conversation) with someone in CompuServe's Conferencing or CB areas. When the the /SEN gadget is activated and a job number is entered into the string gadget, all lines in the Chat Window will be prepended with "/SEN nn" (where nn is the job number). The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Append "..." Hot Key: Right-Amiga-. (period) This function was decribed in more detail under Global Options. It is another way (that is "hot keyable") to turn on and off the append dots feature of lines auto sent from the Chat Window. When this option is selected a "box" will appear on the far right side of the Chat Window bar (the bar separates the main communications window from the Chat Window). This gives you a visual indication that you have selected the Send Dots feature. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Double Click XON/XOFF Hot Key: NONE A check marked menu item that toggles on and off the ability to double click the mouse to send an xon/xoff. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: CTRL-U From Chat Hot Key: NONE A check marked menu item that prepends a ^U to all lines sent from the Chat Window. This option is CompuServe specific. If you are using the Chat Window and you are experiencing line noise, a ^U will clear CompuServe's input buffer (get rid of the noise) before you line is sent. The state of this item is saved in the BT.CFG file. SubItem: Save Configuration Hot Key: NONE Selecting this item causes all current user selectable options to be written to the file BT.CFG. This includes the current selection of protocol, colors, fonts, split or full window, 1 bit plane screen, 2 bit plane screen, or workbench screen, modem init and modem exit strings, what window off or on, borders off or on, send dots off or on, all serial parameters -- ANYTHING the user may select or change from the default configuration. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Features and Functions ARexx: BackTalk has an ARexx port. In the initial release of BackTalk ARexx scripts are not executable from within BackTalk but BackTalk may be controlled externally by an ARexx script. A future update will provide internal capabilities. Since BackTalk may be run more than once, different iterations of the progrm will have a uniquely named ARexx port. In the first iteration it is named BT_REXX. The second iteration is BT_REXX2, the third is BT_REXX3, etc. Quote all string arguments in your BackTalk ARexx scripts. Following are the ARExx command currently supported: WAITFOR Usage: WAITFOR <string> This command waits for the string. ARexx is not replied to until this string is found. SEND Usage: SEND <string> Sends a string to the serial port with a terminating carriage return. SENDNCR Usage: SENDNCR <string> The same as SEND however does not send a terminating carriage return MESSAGE Usage: MESSAGE <string> Sends a text message to the screen and to the review buffer but does not send it to the serial port. FKEY Usage FKEY <Fn | SFn> This will send one of BackTalk's fkey macros returns a non-zero on failure. OPENCAPTURE Usage: OPENCAPTURE <filename | default from global options> returns a non-zero on failure. CLOSECAPTURE Usage: CLOSECAPTURE closes the capture file DISPLAYOFF Usage: DISPLAYOFF this turns off screen output. Scrolling, cursor positioning, etc. still takes place, just no text is output to the screen. DISPLAYON Usage: resume text display BAUD Usage: BAUD <rate> returns a non-zero on failure. PARITY Usage: PARITY <Odd | Even | None> returns a non-zero on failure. DUPLEX Usage: DUPLEX <Full | Half> returns a non-zero on failure. DLENGTH Usage: DLENGTH <7 | 8> returns a non-zero on failure. STOPBITS Usage: STOPBITS <1 | 2> returns a non-zero on failure. DEVICENAME <string> Usage: DEVICENAME <device.name> Should this command fail, the program will read bt.cfg and use those values to reopen the serial port. Of course, this will negate any changes you may have made previously via the PARITY, DUPLEX, DLENGTH, BAUD, and STOPBITS command. UNITNUMBER <number> Usage: UNITNUMBER <number> This command has the same caveat as DEVICENAME. If it fails bt.cfg will be read and the serial port reopened with those values. A strange thing with unit number, tho. Serial.device will allow you to open using unit number 1, so the change is successful altho BackTalk no longer talks to the modem. PRINTERON Usage: PRINTERON turns on echo to printer PRINTEROFF Usage: PRINTEROFF turns off echo to printer BEEP Usage: BEEP Flashes all screens BLOCK Usage: BLOCK This function blocks all user input to BackTalk. Block removes the menustrip and ignores all keyboard input. Block puts up a requester to remind you that user input is being blocked. Note: Make sure that you issue either the UNBLOCK command or the QUIT command before the ARexx script ends otherwise you will not be able to communicate at all with BackTalk. UNBLOCK Usage: UNBLOCK Restores the menustrip and again pays attention to keyboard input. Unblock removes the informational requester. SCREENTOBACK Usage: SCREENTOBACK If BackTalk is running in a non-workbench screen, this will push the screen to the back. SCREENTOFRONT Usage: SCREENTOFRONT If BackTalk is running in a non-workbench screen, this will push the screen to the front. HANGUP Usage: HANGUP This command works just like the Hangup menu item. It drops DTR. If CD was never set (dip flipped or using a 3 wire cable) it will wait 60 ticks then send a "+++", delay(60), "ATH\r\n". QUIT Usage: QUIT It does what it says, it will shutdown the program. Following is an example ARexx script: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /* Start BackTalk ARexx script */ address command "run BackTalk" waitforport BT_REXX if ~show('l', "rexxsupport.library") then addlib('rexxsupport.library',0,-30,0) address BT_REXX call delay 200 BLOCK SEND "atmdt 555-1234" WAITFOR "CONNECT" call delay 50 SENDNCR "^C" WAITFOR "User ID:" call delay 50 DISPLAYOFF FKEY F2 /* this is an fkey macro, it sends my ppn and password */ /* in the form of 77777,1234\password */ call delay 100 DISPLAYON SEND "G AmigaUser" WAITFOR "Welcome" WAITFOR "Forum !" OPENCAPTURE "ram:testing" SEND "RN" WAITFOR "Forum !" CLOSECAPTURE SEND "BYE" UNBLOCK QUIT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scroll Lock: When a ^S is sent to the serial port, a text message, "Scroll Lock On" is displayed on the left side of bottom status line. This is just a visual indication that a ^S has been send and incoming text will not be resumed until a ^Q is sent. Mouse double click: Double clicking the left mouse button sends a ^S to the modem. Double clicking again sends a ^Q. This feature is user selectable via the Configuration menu. The state of this item will be saved in BT.CFG. Hot keyable requesters: All gadget "buttons" in requesters in BackTalk, except for 2 exceptions previously noted, are "hot keyable". Just type the first letter in the name of the gadget. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many enhancements are planned for the future. Please don't be shy with enhancement requests and bug reports.