============================ PREFIX.DOC =============================

This documentation goes with one or more PREFIX programs used to list
geographic locations for telephone prefixes in a given area code. See
the other documentation file distributed along with this one for a list
of the programs included. The PREFIX programs are named by the area
code they cover. For example, the program covering the San Fernando
Valley in California is named: 818.EXE, for the 818 area code. Also
included is a program called AREA.EXE which is used to find the
location of an area code in the United States or Canada.

All programs (C) Copyright 1991, 1992 Paul J. White, Mountain Air Designs.

Mountain Air Designs
P.O. Box 1138
Cedar Glen, CA 92321-1138

These programs are distributed as shareware. Feel free to distribute
them to anyone and everyone. These programs may not be resold under
any circumstances. If you like them, please send three dollars to
Mountain Air Designs for each program you find useful.

Due to the changing nature of the telephone system, prefixes and area
codes are subject to change and the accuracy of these programs is not
guaranteed. I expect to release updates reflecting these changes once
a year or so, or more often if needed.

If you have any comments, corrections, or would like to see a version
for another area code, send correspondence to Paul White at the above
address, or Compuserve E-mail to 70202,157.


--- Using the prefix programs --

Copy the programs to your DOS directory, or to a separate directory
that is included in your PATH. Then to find the geographic location of
a certain telephone number, type the area code, a space, then the first
three digits of the phone number at the DOS prompt and press .
You will see the city displayed on the next line. An example is shown
below:

C> 714 432
(714) 432-0000 Santa Ana, California

Finding an area code location is just as easy; just type AREA followed
by a space and then the three digit telephone area code in question,
and press . The state or province will be displayed on the next
line:

C> AREA 714
(714) California

All programs may be used with an optional second parameter to specify a
range of numbers. For example, to get a list of cities for all
prefixes from 520 to 529 in the 714 area, you would type the area code
(the program name), the lower limit of the range and then the upper
limit, all separated by spaces:

C> 714 520 529
(714) 520-0000 Anaheim, California
(714) 521-0000 Buena Park, California
(714) 522-0000 Buena Park, California
(714) 523-0000 Buena Park, California
(714) 524-0000 Placentia, California
(714) 525-0000 Fullerton, California
(714) 526-0000 Fullerton, California
(714) 527-0000 Cypress, California
(714) 528-0000 Placentia, California
(714) 529-0000 Brea, California

A third parameter: /N may be specified to suppress the listing of any
prefix for which a city name is not listed. For example, to display
all known prefixes in the 714 area code, type the following:

C> 714 1 999 /N

All lines that would normally contain the message "Not listed" will be
suppressed.

The output of these prefix programs may be redirected to a file or
printer, sorted by city name, etc. by using standard DOS redirection
or filters. Refer to your DOS documentation for further details. Some
examples are shown here.


1. Create a list of cities for all phone numbers in the 818 area code
beginning with the digit 7 and put the list in a file called seven.txt:

C> 818 700 799 >SEVEN.TXT

2. Create an alphabetical list of all known prefixes for each city in
the 714 area code in a file called city.txt:

C> 714 200 999 /N >CITY.TXT | sort /+16

3. Use a batch file to display the locations in the 213, 714 and 818
areas, of a given prefix or range of prefixes. Create a file called
3areas.bat containing the following lines:

@213 %1 %2
@714 %1 %2
@818 %1 %2

(The @ symbols may be omittted if an early version of DOS is used).

Then, type the batch file name followed by a prefix as shown:

C> 3areas 542
(213) 542-0000 Redondo Beach, California
(714) 542-0000 Santa Ana, California
(818) 542-0000 La Crescenta, California


-- Why these programs exist --

I wrote these programs because, as a computer bulletin board operator,
I often receive calls from new users who give their name and phone
number, but not the city they are calling from. I am always curious to
know where people are calling from, so I used to go to the telephone
directory and look up the city in the pages that listed billing rates
by prefix (where the city was also listed). Because I'm lazy, I got
tired of getting up and fetching the book every time a new caller
logged on, and so I decided to write these programs.

If you would like to see a version of these programs for another area
code, I would be happy to write it and send a free copy to you, since
there are probably other people who would also find it useful.
However, since I don't have immediate access to phone books from every
area, you will need to help me out. I need to have the data to create
the program, either in the form of the prefix listing pages from a
telephone directory of the area, or even better, an electronic version
(a text file) of the same data. (I will supply an example of the
preferred data format on request).

-- Paul J. White, July 29, 1992