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JCSM Shareware Collection 1996 September
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JCSM Shareware Collection (JCS Distribution) (September 1996).ISO
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commo65.zip
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HISTORY
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1995-07-15
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Recent Revision History
-----------------------
This file contains a list of changes to the current release and also to one or
more recent releases. If you have used {COMMO} before, please make sure you
are caught up on all the changes and improvements.
See the file 65INFO.DOC for important announcements and {COMMO} product
information.
ATTENTION REGISTERED USERS: Registration passwords used for {COMMO} 5.xx will
not work for {COMMO} 6.0 and later. See sections 8 and 9 in 65INFO.DOC for
instructions on obtaining a NEW PASSKEY and for some special offers.
IMPORTANT! Certain *extra* features work only in the registered version of
the program. These include:
1) Loading a new Dialing Directory within the program.
2) User-defined key labels.
3) Automatic entry to and exit from Doorway Mode.
4) Linking directly to an external text editor.
----------- -------------
{COMMO} 6.5 July 15, 1995
----------- -------------
Bugs Fixed
----------
The external editor feature was causing system instability (e.g., crashes) if
the file had first been modified by the Internal Editor, but not saved with
Alt-F (causing an automatic save).
The remaining files field in the protocol window was going negative (seen as
65535) if the remote erroneously reported 0 files left. Now it will behave as
in single file mode.
In Zmodem it was possible to get into an indefinite loop where {COMMO} would
request retransmission of a bad header and the remote would send the bad
header repeatedly. There was no way out of this loop unless the remote
corrected the header or stopped sending. Now {COMMO} will time out or you can
press Esc.
Updating the hardware cursor position every clock tick was causing a problem
for some speech users. It will now be updated only when it moves.
When {sld=yes} was set, RTS was not being dropped during certain (rare) disk
accesses.
The Y and/or Z modem batch info was erroneous when files were received from
certain Ymodem or Zmodem drivers.
Zmodem would wait indefinitely at the end of a received file when the sender
was a certain (unknown) Zmodem driver.
If the incoming file in a Zmodem download was equal or shorter in size to an
existing file with the same name, the file date was set to the date of the
incoming file.
If {COMMO} was left running for days and a Zmodem upload was aborted at the
start of a file, a "divide overflow" system crash could occur.
There was a rare condition where the elapsed timer would increase by 1440
minutes at the stroke of midnight (reported under Win 3.11).
Improvements/Changes
--------------------
* Some exciting new features have been added to the Alt-U Utility Menu,
including:
Add an entry to the Dialing Directory. This prompts you for the required
information and automatically adds the entry to the end of your directory.
Set terminal emulation on the fly. This will switch to VT102, VT220 or PINE
emulation, loading the appropriate keyboard file.
Modify a Variable. This allows you to change a number of common variable
items, such as the download path (for the current session).
* The SELECT macro (for selecting files to upload) has been modified to use
the new FILE-S function (see below). This allows files to be selected from a
listing window that operates much like the Dialing Directory (keys for
tagging, searching and navigating are the same). Items:
Tagged filenames are written to {SEND}.LST as with the old SELECT macro.
Use the [Enter] key to change directories, [V] to change disk drives, [E] to
edit/view the current list, [F] to change the filespec and [F10] to finish
(begin upload). Press F1 in the Select window for a complete list of keys.
A new color item in the Setup File defines the colors for the new window:
{kfs=70,1b,30} File Selector window colors
ASCII Upload has been added to the PgUp upload menu, allowing the use of
SELECT.
SELECT should be much more speech friendly now.
* A new switch "S" on the FILE macro function will display a listing of files
that match the given filespec. FILE-S will exit with the Exit Code set to
indicate the action taken by the user (see MACRO.DOC for details). Note that
FILE-S just displays filenames and writes to the .LST file. Other operations,
such as changing the path, must be done by the macro.
* The Alt-T key has been added to the Dialing Directory (and Select window) to
tag all entries.
* A new item "esp" has been added to the Setup File. Use this item to control
{COMMO}'s TSR interference elimination logic. This can produce dramatic
improvements when certain TSR programs are loaded (such as screen readers used
with speech synthesizers).
* The external editor feature will now save any files (Dialing Directory and
Macro File(s)) with outstanding changes and release all of the files from
memory before calling your editor. This allows you to edit any or all of the
files while in your editor, makes more memory available to run your editor and
eliminates fragmentation of memory when the files are reloaded.
* A switch "B" has been added to the SEND macro function. This switch
specifies "byte mode" in which characters are represented as decimal or hex
numbers, separated by commas. Hex numbers are preceded by a "0" and all
characters from 0 to 255 may be sent. There is no conversion, no translation
and no local echo. For example:
{send-b 123,043,04f,77,04d,79,07d} Send "{COMMO}"
* GETString-R (raw mode) will input a single character and convert it to a
decimal number string. For example, if an "A" comes in, the variable will be
set to "65". If a <cr> comes in, the variable will be set to "13". All 256
character values are allowed.
* A switch "E" has been added to the NOCArrier function. This switch enables
the "no carrier" logic as if a connection had been made after dialing. Note
that a label may be specified along with the switch, but absence of a label
will not cancel an existing label (as it would if the switch wasn't present).
* A new alarm sound has been created for processes that fail. For example, if
an internal protocol file transfer fails, this new sound will be used instead
of the familiar ringing sound (if the alarm is requested). Also, a new switch
"F" on the ALARm function will cause this new sound to be made. The protocol
macros in COMMO.MAC have been updated to use the new sound.
* The Kermit external protocol macros have been changed to use a longer packet
length and to pass the port address and IRQ to MSKERMIT. The macros will also
create .INI command files to reduce the size of the DOS command line.
* The low level serial port routines have been modified to help prevent port
lockups that occur with some older UARTs.
* Characters typed in Chat Mode (with Send on Enter set) are no longer
converted. I.e., you can type a "|" and {COMMO} will send a "|", not a
carriage return.
* A minimal DOS critical error handler has been implemented. It uses DOS'
handler (Abort, Retry, Fail, etc.), but disallows the Abort option, converting
it to Fail instead. This prevents sudden exits from {COMMO} that bypass
{COMMO}'s normal shutdown (which could lead to a system crash).
------------ --------------
{COMMO} 6.42 March 18, 1995
------------ --------------
Bugs Fixed
----------
Keystrokes were not being buffered when saving lines to a file in Scrollback
(this was especially noticeable when using KEYStuff).
The exit code (error level) was not being set to 1 after certain protocol file
transfer aborts.
{COMMO} was checking for the presence of DESQview before OS/2 or Windows.
This may have affected some systems that have a DV call converter installed.
It will now check first for OS/2, then for Windows and last for DESQview.
Improvements/Changes
--------------------
* You can now run compiled macros in the unregistered version of {COMMO}
(occasional delay messages will appear).
* Automatic support has been added for two features in Doorway 2.22+:
Control character override allows display of musical notes and other
characters that would normally be interpreted as control characters, such
as carriage returns, linefeeds, etc. This improves the appearance of
applications that use these characters in their display screens.
Printer redirection allows an application on the host to print on the
remote terminal (to LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3). Note that Doorway must be
configured (on the host) to make this work.
* Macro errors will now show the function. This should be helpful when there
is more than one function on a line or when the macro is compiled.
* It is now possible to shell directly to an external text editor from the
Dialing Directory and Macro File windows. Just define your editor's command
line in the reserved variable "_exted". Then when you press Alt-E, your
editor will be run.
The file will be saved prior to running the editor (if changed) and
reloaded afterwards, so you don't need to do any of that.
Two new built-in variables provide the filename and the line number to be
used on the editor's command line:
_edf The filename of the last file displayed (or current).
_edl The current line number of the cursor within the file.
These may be used as in this Setup File example:
{set _exted,c:\util\editor.exe %_hom%%_edf /n%_edl}
Note that the command line is run as if it appeared in an {exec-dn...}
function -- i.e., direct, no clear and no swap. This makes it as fast and
seamless as possible. If you need to use the DOS command processor (to run
a batch file or to search the path), define the command like this:
{set _exted,c:\command.com /c editor %_hom%%_edf /n%_edl}
The "_exted" variable may also be defined in a macro.
* The BEEP macro function now accepts arguments to play a sequence of tones.
List arguments in pairs, where the first number is the duration in clock ticks
(18ths of a seconds) and the second argument is the frequency in Hz (0 to 19
is silence).
For example, to play an A note for 2 seconds followed by a C for 1 second:
{beep 36,440,18,523}
The default (no args) is just the old beep.
* The protocol (file transfer) window now shows additional information,
including batch statistics, progress bar and percent complete. The progress
bar character has been added to the end of the graphic display character list
{gdc=...}.
* Zmodem "resume" mode will now be overridden by the "rename" and "overwrite"
modes (even if resume is specified by the sender).
* The send/receive buffers have been increased in size. This may improve
throughput in multi-tasking systems and/or at high speeds.
* You can now use bright background colors in {COMMO} command windows and
menus. Note that these will cause blinking if bright backgrounds are not
enabled in the video hardware.
* The Inter-dial Delay after the last dialing try will always be 2 seconds now
(when a try count is specified).
* A new built-in variable "_ver" contains the {COMMO} version number text.
Changes for Speech Users
------------------------
* In the protocol window, the pathname will speak at the start of each file.
Also the percent complete (for the batch) will speak at 22 second intervals.
* A new built-in variable "_sfi" is set to 1 if the Speech Friendly Interface
is turned on, 0 otherwise.
------------ -----------------
{COMMO} 6.41 November 20, 1994
------------ -----------------
Bugs fixed
----------
The WINDow function was still broken. It was leaving menus on the screen
after exiting them.
----------- -----------------
{COMMO} 6.4 November 19, 1994
----------- -----------------
Bugs fixed
----------
If the macro stack filled up on a CALOok, {COMMO} would crash when the next
character came in from the serial port (after the Macro Error).
The old style menus (using {macro string}) did not always work correctly.
If an ANSI save "<esc>[s" was done when the cursor was in the rightmost column
on the screen, the restore "<esc>[u" did not work correctly.
{COMMO} did not restore the interrupt controller properly after using IRQ 2 or
IRQ 9. On some machines this could cause the serial port to hang or the
system to lock up.
The "other copy running" check did not always work during Swap to Disk.
The WINDow function sometimes caused random garbage to be displayed on the
screen.
Files sent by {COMMO}'s Xmodem using 128 byte blocks would be corrupted if the
receiver specified the "G" method.
External protocols did not work after running the MOSTHOST.
The upload and download directories were not the current directories in the
DOS menu of the MOSTHOST.
File Transfer Protocols
-----------------------
{COMMO} now has internal Zmodem! It is supported with the SZMOdem and RZMOdem
macro functions. See "Uploading/Downloading" in COMMO.DOC for operating
details and MACRO.DOC for a complete description of the macro switches for
these new functions. Complete macro support is provided in COMMO.MAC.
Running CPS (characters per second) is now available in all internal
protocols. The time used to calculate this rate figure is accurate to within
0.05 seconds.
The file creation date is now preserved when a file is transferred with the
Ymodem or Zmodem protocols.
Setup File Changes
------------------
A variable "zr_mode" has been added. This determines what happens when a file
being received with internal Zmodem has the same name as a file in the
download directory. See COMMO.DOC for details.
A variable "sel_pns" has been added. Set this to "yes" if you have
COMMOPNS.EXE in your "protodir" directory. This will cause COMMOPNS to be
used for file selection instead of the SELECT macro (do not use the macros
supplied with COMMOPNS).
The variable "z_prog" has been eliminated. Users who want to use an external
Zmodem driver should see SAMPLES.MAC for macros to include in COMMO.MAC.
Macro File Changes
------------------
{COMMO} Macro Files can now be COMPILED for better speed, smaller size and
security of source code. See "[Alt-M] Macro File" in COMMO.DOC and Online
Help for details.
A new macro function, SETR, will set a label to GOTO when a Macro Error
occurs. Note that all macro parameters (including the SETR label) will be
reset after the error occurs.
The string variable "_met" will contain an error message explaining the most
recent Macro Error (whether or not SETR was used).
The SEND function has a new switch "N" for turning off control character
conversion. For example, {send-n abc|~} will send the actual string "abc|~"
and not convert the "|" or the "~".
GETString has a new switch "I" to allow input from the local terminal only
(characters from the remote will be buffered and characters entered locally
will not be sent to the remote). This switch overrides the current setting of
Echo Status from SETGet.
The LOOKfor timeout timer will now be restarted whenever a string is sent by
SSLOok. This will help prevent macros from aborting prematurely.
The MOSTHOST has been extensively rewritten and should be more reliable. It
now has a single User File instead of the individual user files with password
names. The name and password may now be any length and contain just about any
characters.
Note that your host user base will have to be restarted. Any messages used
with the enhanced host may be retained. Initialize the file USER.MHS by
placing the high message number on the first (and only) line. Then have
users login as usual. See MOSTHOST.DOC in the enhanced host archive for
more instructions on maintaining the message base.
Other Improvements/Changes
--------------------------
Any key code obtained with Alt-K in the Internal Editor can now be configured
with the "mky" item in the Setup File. This allows any built-in key-label to
be overridden. It also allows separate macro definitions for the extra keypad
keys on the enhanced keyboard.
Control characters below ASCII 28 can now appear in {COMMO}'s support files
and variables (the only exceptions are ASCII 0, 10 and 13 -- these may never
appear as data).
These characters can also be typed in the Internal Editor (you must use the
Alt-keypad method when there is a conflict with a command key, such as
Ctrl-N). Note that they still may not be used in macro labels or variable
names.
The Input Line Editor now allows these characters as well.
SCREEN Capture Mode has been modified to capture data when the screen is
partially cleared by ANSI commands. This is in addition to capturing data
when the screen is totally cleared, or when data scrolls off the top of the
screen. In most situations this will cause no change in appearance, but
should prevent loss of data on some host systems. This change also applies to
the Scrollback Buffer and Print Log.
If the Speech Friendly Interface is enabled, sounds will now be made when the
Capture File is opened or closed using the Alt-1 window. These are the same
sounds used for tagging and untagging entries in the Dialing Directory.
Most input fields (such as the path/filename in the Capture File Options
window) will now speak when the Speech Friendly Interface is on.
The maximum length of dialing responses has been increased from 40 characters
to 130.
The delete line key (Alt-Y or Ctrl-Y) now works differently in the Internal
Editor. Deleting the last line in the file no longer leaves a blank line
there (unless it is the only line in the file).
Some changes have been made in serial port handling. These should improve
compatibility with certain hardware. And {COMMO} now takes better advantage
of the 16550 UART, resulting in higher speeds.
The serial port is now kept open when Swap to Disk is used during a Shell to
DOS or EXECute function ("S" switch). This prevents any loss of incoming
data. The size of the resident "stub" is now about 7k bytes.
The AutoBaud feature has been removed. The {abd=...} item in COMMO.SET and
the ABAUd macro function are no longer supported.
If you use an unbuffered 2400 bps modem and you need to call a lower speed
modem (1200, 300, etc.), just put the speed in the parms field in the
Dialing Directory entry.
If you need to switch your DTE speed to match the CONNECT speed, use the
macro: {parm %_mod}.
You can now define port addresses and IRQ's in COMMO.SET for up to 8 serial
ports (instead of just 4). Use {com=5,338,9} for example. Ports 5 to 8 all
default to 3f8,4.
The default serial port speed is now 38400.
-end-