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Shareware Overload Trio 2
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ANNOUNCE.DOC
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1994-09-01
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The Audio Batch Enhancer!
Spice up your batch files!
Spice up your life!
ANNOUNCE ver 1.2 (c)1991,94 Steven L. Brenner
ANNOUNCE is a copyrighted program and is NOT public domain or freeware.
What ANNOUNCE does
==================
In short - plays sounds using your built in internal PC speaker.
How loud it plays depends on the location of your PC speaker in your PC
and how you PC case is situated.
What ANNOUNCE doesn't do
========================
ANNOUNCE aside for Help, or error messages does NOT write ANY information
to the screen. This was done to help keep the size of the program down
and not interfer with its use in batch files/menu systems, etc.
ANNOUNCE parameters/options
===========================
Usage: ANNOUNCE [options] [loop condition]
Options:/? /c /d /e /h /n /r /v /rs
/? = HELP (this informaiton)
/c # = chirp (#=number of chirps)
/d = done
/e = error
/h = HELP (this display)
/n # = next (#=number of notes played, default=3)
/r # = random (#=number of notes played, default=10)
/v # = violation (#=number of cycles, default=5)
/rs = randomly select an ANNOUNCE selection
Loop condition:/x # #
/L # # = loop (repeat) until any key is hit
1st #=number of seconds between loops
If # not specified, default is 15 sec loop
2nd #=number of times to loop, unless a key is hit
Default is loop until any key is hit
Loop returns error condition of 0 if key is hit, 1 if loop times out
default is /d (1 time, no loops)
'/' is optional and has no effect
NOTE: the naming scheme for the selections are in part decriptive and in
part what I used the selection to represent.
Examples of using ANNOUNCE
==========================
ANNOUNCE V 3 L 10 1000
Plays 'violation' 3 times, every 10 seconds for 1000 times
(loops 1000 times) unless a key is hit.
If a key is NOT hit, the DOS ERRORLEVEL is set at 1 when ANNOUNCE
times-out and exists to DOS.
If a key is hit the DOS errorlevel is set at 0.
You can check for a timed-out loop in your batch files by using the
line:
IF ERRORLEVEL=1 GOTO ERROR_LABEL
Where 'ERROR_LABEL' is a goto label in your batch file. See DEMO.BAT
for a working example of this. If you are using DOS version 5.0 or
higher you can type 'HELP BATCH' at the DOS prompt for help with batch
files or refer to your DOS manuals (yech).
ANNOUNCE N
Plays 'next' - 3 notes the default number.
ANNOUNCE C 1 L 2 100
Plays 'chirp' 1 time, every 2 seconds for 100 times
(loops 100 times) unless a key is hit.
See 1st example for information on looping, time-outs, etc.
ANNOUNCE R 9 L 1 999999
Plays 'random' 9 time, every 1 second for 999999 times
(loops 999999 times) unless a key is hit.
See 1st example for information on looping, time-outs, etc.
WARNING: for selections of 'next', 'random', and 'violation'
If you select too high a number for number of notes played
(the optional 2nd value, see ANNOUNCE parameters above), for
example: ANNOUNCE R 999999
You WILL lockup your PC until ANNOUNCE finishes playing. Which
could be a LONG, LONG time. Hitting a key will have no effect
until the selected number of notes has finished playing, THEN if
you have hit a key ANNOUNCE will exit to DOS.
--------------
If you want a continous stream of playing - set the number of
notes so that they are longer than a second and set the loop time
for 1 second. In the example above:
ANNOUNCE R 9 L 1 999999
will play a continous stream of 8999991 notes unless someone
hits a key on the keyboard (or shoots your PC).
--------------
Why ANNOUNCE came into being.
=============================
I was working PC support in a company that had about 50 PCs, most of
which were not on a network. Periodically I would have to perform
software upgrades (we had a number of custom inhouse applications) on
all PCs and if I installed them all myself I would loose the better part
of a day or more just going from station to station swapping disks.
The obvious solution was to create an installation package and at the
appropriate time use CTRL-G to have the computer beep and post a screen
message saying 'Please insert the 2nd disk now' or whatever was
appropriate, then when finished have the user pass the disks on to the
next PC station.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS NEVER WORKED.
One application which was updated every 2 weeks required a 3 disk
installation package (yes, the files were compressed) and even with
elaberate screen messages and personal instructions to the users, I
would come back hours later to find the update disks at the first or
second PC, at disk one or two and the PC user blissfully ignoring the
screen messages.
So I created ANNOUNCE. When the first disk finished installing, a
message was posted on the screen like "Please Insert Disk #2, and Hit
Any Key" and ANNOUNCE was called. I had ANNOUNCE set to play the 'next'
medly ever 10 seconds for 5 minutes (ANNOUNCE n /L 10 30). If the user
followed the instructions ANNOUNCE would stop when the keyboard was hit,
otherwise after 5 minutes I would have ANNOUNCE play something a little
more catchy/obnoxious like 'chirp' 5 times every minute. If the user
inserted the wrong disk in, I had ANNOUNCE play something different.
Well it worked! The first time I used it I got a page from one of the
users asking why her PC was chirping. After the first few PCs I had
users from other stations assisting any one who was slow or confused.
This resolved one of my biggest headaches.
Registering ANNOUNCE
====================
This program is NOT public domain or freeware!
Please register your copy of ANNOUNCE by sending $5.00
(check or money order, no cash please) to:
Steven L. Brenner
13591 Sioux Rd.
Westminster, CA. 92683
See ANNOUNCE.REG for registration from and more info.
If you can not afford the full registration, send what you can.
For use by corporations and other institutions, please contact me for a
licensing arrangement. Customizing and other special licensing are
available upon request.
If you have comments, suggestions, etc. I would appreciate hearing from
you. I can also be contacted on CompuServe at id# 71051,3035
Warranty/Disclaimer
===================
This document and the program files ANNOUNCE.EXE and ANNOUNCE.BAT ("the
software") are copyrighted by the author. The copyright owner hereby
licenses you to use the software given these restrictions:
o the program shall be supplied in its original, unmodified
form, which includes this documentation;
o for-profit use without a license is prohibited;
o the program may not be included - or bundled - with other
goods or services. Exceptions may be granted upon written
request only.
o no fee is charged; an exception is granted to not for profit
user's groups, which are permitted to charge a small fee (not to
exceed $5) for materials, handling, postage, and general
overhead. No other organization is permitted to charge any
amount for distribution of copies of the software or
documentation, or to include copies of the software or
documentation with sales of their own products.
There is no warranty of any kind. The copyright owner may not be
held liable for any damages, including any lost profits or other
incidental or consequential damages arising out of or inability to
use the software. By using the software, you agree to this.
Copyright information
=====================
The software and documentation are:
Copyright (C) 1991-1994 by
Steven L. Brenner
13591 Sioux Rd.
Westminster, CA. 92683