Category : Communication (modem) tools and utilities
Archive   : COMMO55.ZIP
Filename : ADDENDUM.DOC

{COMMO} 5.5 Addendum
____________________

This Addendum contains the major additions and/or changes to the
{COMMO} 5.41 documentation. Print out this file and keep it with
your printed manual. There is a complete list of changes (major
and minor) in the file HISTORY.


===============================
In the User Guide and Reference
===============================


Under "Command Line Options - Switches"
---------------------------------------

/{parms} Default Dialing Parameters

Any or all parameters may be specified. Included parameters
will override those in the "ddp=" item in the Setup File.


Under "Alt-G Edit Setup File"
------------------------------

__________________________________________

{clm=auto} Color Mode (auto/color/mono)
__________________________________________

If this item is set to "auto," {COMMO} will auto detect the
display type and use the proper mode. The default modes are
"color" for color displays and "mono" for monochrome
displays.

If you have a laptop with a black and white LCD display
(VGA, EGA or CGA compatible), you can use the "mono" mode to
improve the contrast (color items below are ignored).

Setting the mode to "color" will force the use of the
colors/attributes in the items below. This is useful if you
have a monochrome display and you prefer to set your own
attributes.

Press F7 while editing the Setup File (or other files) to
pop up the color chart. You may use it with color or
monochrome displays. Color settings have no effect when the
Color Mode is "mono" (or "auto" with a monochrome display).

NOTE: Terminal Screen colors/attributes may still be
changed if ANSI display data is received from the host. It
may be necessary to adjust your settings at the host.




Under "Uploading and Downloading"
---------------------------------

Files for uploading (sending) are chosen from the file selection
menu (supported by SELECT.MAC). Only one file should be selected
when using the Xmodem protocol.



==============================
In the Macro Programming Guide
==============================

------------------------------------
New or Changed Function Descriptions
------------------------------------

_______

CAPTure
_______

Default key: Alt-1
Description: Capture File Options.

Switches:

N1 or N Do not wait for a keypress if the disk fills
up while capturing (a message is displayed
for several seconds). The setting remains in
effect until the Capture File is closed.

NOTE: This switch is effective only on a
CAPTure function that successfully opens a
Capture File.

N0 Wait for Esc to be pressed if the disk fills
up (default).

Examples:

{capture} Open Capture File Options
window.

{capture y} Open current Capture File.

{capture n} Close current Capture File.

{capt y,c:\commo\file.xyz} Open indicated Capture File.

{capt n,c:\dl\newfile.cap} Close current Capture File,
set new file as indicated.

The current Capture File will always be closed when a new file is
opened.

IMPORTANT! If the disk fills while capture is open, a "disk
full" message will appear (see the "N" switch above) and the file
will be closed. The built-in variable "_dfc" will be set to 1.

See also CAPMode.



____

FILE
____

Default key: none
Description: Find directory entry information.

General form:

{FILE filespec}

filespec The path and file mask to be used for
finding directory entries (filenames and
subdirectories). May consist of drive,
path and filename with wildcards.

Switches:

X1 or X Find next matching entry.

X0 Find first matching entry (default).

Examples:

{file c:\upload\*.*} Find first filename or subdirectory
in the directory "c:\upload."

{file-x} Find next filename in same
directory.

The FILE function will find directory information about files and
subdirectories specified in "filespec." The data will be made
available in the following built-in variables:

_ffn Filename or subdirectory name. Subdirectory names
will be preceded with a "\". The parent directory
(if any) will be indicated as "\..".

_ffs File size in bytes.

_ffd File date. The format will be as specified in
Setup File item "dat=".

_fft File time. The format will be as specified in
Setup File item "tim=".

The FILE function must be executed without the "X" switch (or
with X0) to initialize the directory. This will also make
available the first filename or subdirectory. Subsequent
executions (with the "X" switch) will make subsequent names
available.

Use the IFCOndition function to determine if a filename was made
available. The first label ("true") will be taken if a filename



was found; the second label ("false") will be taken if no
additional filenames are available.

NOTE: The built-in variables will always contain the data for
the last filename found. If no filename has ever been found, the
contents are unpredictable.

_____

IFxxx NOTE: The following applies to all "IF" functions.
_____

Switches:

C1 or C A CALL is performed on the label. When the
CALLed routine RETUrns, execution will
continue following the IFxxx.

C0 A GOTO is performed (default).

Examples:

{ifxxx label10,label20} Using GOTO
{ifxxx-c label10,label20} Using CALL

______

INFOrm
______

Default key: none
Description: Display an advisory message.

General form:

{INFOrm string}

string Message to be displayed.

Switches:

Q1 or Q Query the user for a "Yes/No" response.
"Yes" will be the default if Enter is
pressed.

The Condition Flag will be set to "true" if
the response is "yes". It will be set to
"false" if the response is "no". Test with
IFCOndition.

Q0 Query the user for a "Yes/No" response. "No"
will be the default if Enter is pressed. The
Condition Flag is set as above.



Dn Display the message for "n" seconds, then
continue. "n" may range from 1 to 999.

S1 or S An error sound will accompany the message
(default).

S0 No error sound will be made.

Examples:

{inform Press a key to continue} Wait for Esc.
{info-qs0 Overwrite the file?} Yes/No response, no
error sound.
{info-d3 Login now in progress} Display message for
3 seconds, then
continue.

INFOrm will display a string in a pop-up box over the Terminal
Screen. {COMMO} will normally wait for "Esc" to be pressed
(switches can alter this behavior). The string length is limited
by the width of the screen.

NOTE: When the "Q" switch is used, Esc and Ctrl-Break will be
ignored.

_______

MACLoad
_______

Default key: none
Description: Load a new Macro File.

General form:

{MACLoad filename,label}

filename The new Macro File. Do NOT specify a
path; the {COMMO} home directory will be
used.

label A label to GOTO when the new file is
loaded. Optional.

Switches:

R1 or R Specifies that COMMO.MAC will be reloaded
when carrier detect is lost. Normally this
would occur at the end of the call.

R0 Do not reload COMMO.MAC when carrier is lost
(default).

Examples:



{macload-R vt102-1.mac} Load vt102-1.mac, reload
COMMO.MAC at the end of the
call.

{macl newmac.fil,abc} Load newmac.fil, start macro
"abc" in the new file.

{macload commo.mac,%mcall} Load COMMO.MAC, GOTO the label
specified in the variable
"mcall".

IMPORTANT! The new Macro File must reside in the {COMMO} home
directory (do not specify a path).

TIPS on using MACLoad:

> The new Macro File can be "called" (by setting a variable to
the return label). Use this variable as the optional label
when "returning" to the calling Macro File.

> The macro stack is preserved during MACLoad. Be sure that
your CALLs and RETUrns are in "sync" or the results may be
unpredictable.

> The current file will be saved to disk if changes are
outstanding. The new file is then loaded in place of the
current one (all macros are replaced).

> MACLoad should be the last function in a macro, since
control is not returned.

______

WINDow
______

Default key: none
Description: Preserve window display.

Switches:

K1 or K Do not allow the Terminal Screen to be
restored when exiting from a window.

K0 Allow the Terminal Screen to be restored when
exiting from a window (default).

Examples:

{window-k} Don't restore the Terminal Screen.

{wind-k0} Restore the Terminal Screen.

This function will prevent the Terminal Screen from being
restored after a window function exits. It is useful for making



smooth, flicker-free transitions between windows or for placing
one pop-up window on top of another.

The condition will remain active until either the "k0" switch is
used or the macro terminates.


---------------------------------
New or Changed Built-in Variables
---------------------------------

_dsk Current disk (e.g., C:)
_dir Current directory (e.g., \upload, \)

_ffn Find file name (use with FILE function)
_ffs Find file size
_ffd Find file date
_fft Find file time

_msn Menu label selection number, from last MENU
function (1 to 26)

_nam Current System Name (up to 40 chars)
_num Current Phone Number (up to 40 chars)

_ela Elapsed time in minutes:seconds


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